Auston Matthews

[L K]

So, here's a fun fact: Only 1 of the top 10 all-time point scorers, and only 8 of the top 50, won the Calder. If Laine wins it, good for him. It doesn't mean much going forward.

I agree, it doesn't mean much, just pointing out that the anti-Toronto bias out there from other sportswriters, they'll be looking to give it to someone else.  Laine if he keeps scoring at this pace would be the easy choice.

As much as I would love to see Matthews/Marner win it, I'm perfectly fine with Laine winning it while he has 17 goals less than halfway through the season.

 

[bustaheims]

http://www.tsn.ca/video/hayes-vs-lawless-on-who-will-be-superior-laine-or-matthews~1012827

Jeff's reaction at 4:40 is the most I've ever agreed with him.

It's hilarious. Lawless literally sounds like a HFBoards Jets fan. Paper-thin arguments, false equivalencies, "watch him play," and other classic tropes.

 

[herman]

http://www.tsn.ca/video/hayes-vs-lawless-on-who-will-be-superior-laine-or-matthews~1012827

Jeff's reaction at 4:40 is the most I've ever agreed with him.

It's hilarious. Lawless literally sounds like a HFBoards Jets fan. Paper-thin arguments, false equivalencies, "watch him play," and other classic tropes.

His closing argument (which Jeff O'Neill was better: centre or winger?) was gold iron pyrite.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

http://www.tsn.ca/video/hayes-vs-lawless-on-who-will-be-superior-laine-or-matthews~1012827

Jeff's reaction at 4:40 is the most I've ever agreed with him.

It's hilarious. Lawless literally sounds like a HFBoards Jets fan. Paper-thin arguments, false equivalencies, "watch him play," and other classic tropes.

His closing argument (which Jeff O'Neill was better: centre or winger?) was gold iron pyrite.

Mrs WIGWAL who is a casual fan, she watches most games with one eye while I have them on, was picking holes in his argument when I put this on tv last night.

I get that they need to fill air time, but I genuinely think we're approaching the point where coverage like this will lose TSN listeners/viewers.

 

[L K]

Laine is going to close the gap defensively...lol.

Maybe we should pair Matthews with a player of the calibre of Mark S.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Laine is going to close the gap defensively...lol.

Even if this is true, it will likely come at the expense of some of his offense.

 

[freer]

Laine is going to close the gap defensively...lol.

Maybe we should pair Matthews with a player of the calibre of Mark S.

So Matthews Bozak and Kadri... Sounds like a wonderful line

 

[bustaheims]

Laine is going to close the gap defensively...lol.

Maybe we should pair Matthews with a player of the calibre of Mark S.

I'm hoping they move him up between JvR and Marner for an extended stretch at some point soon.

 

[Kin]

Laine is going to close the gap defensively...lol.

Maybe we should pair Matthews with a player of the calibre of Mark S.

I'm hoping they move him up between JvR and Marner for an extended stretch at some point soon.

Hopefully right after that Bozak-Sergachev trade Frank suggested.

 

[freer]

Laine is going to close the gap defensively...lol.

Maybe we should pair Matthews with a player of the calibre of Mark S.

I'm hoping they move him up between JvR and Marner for an extended stretch at some point soon.

Hopefully right after that Bozak-Sergachev trade Frank suggested.

Why is everyone still wanting to trade Bozak. He does nothing bad and scores .75 ppg for his whole career. At 4.5 mil he is a steal. IMO he will eclipse his career high this season. Honestly I don't get it. 

 

[Kin]

Why is everyone still wanting to trade Bozak. He does nothing bad and scores .75 ppg for his whole career. At 4.5 mil he is a steal. IMO he will eclipse his career high this season. Honestly I don't get it.

It's this radical concept wherein in order to get something good in a trade you also have to give something good.

He's also nowhere near .75 ppg for his career.

 

[herman]

The last time we traded with Montreal, in the summer of 08, it was also for a Mikhail.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Why is everyone still wanting to trade Bozak. He does nothing bad and scores .75 ppg for his whole career. At 4.5 mil he is a steal. IMO he will eclipse his career high this season. Honestly I don't get it.

It's this radical concept wherein in order to get something good in a trade you also have to give something good.

He's also nowhere near .75 ppg for his career.

Tyler Bozak (career) - 460 GP, 113 goals, 172 assists, 285 total points (.62ppg)
2016/17 - 25 GP, 6 goals, 12 assists, 18 total points (.72ppg)

Bozak will be 31 in about 3 months. Based on his year to date, age, and  contract, this is probably a pretty good season to move him. I would love to see the Leafs trade Bozak, bring up the Goat to play on the 4th line and move Matthews up to center JVR and Marner.

 

[Highlander]

Why is everyone still wanting to trade Bozak. He does nothing bad and scores .75 ppg for his whole career. At 4.5 mil he is a steal. IMO he will eclipse his career high this season. Honestly I don't get it.

It's this radical concept wherein in order to get something good in a trade you also have to give something good.

He's also nowhere near .75 ppg for his career.

Tyler Bozak (career) - 460 GP, 113 goals, 172 assists, 285 total points (.62ppg)
2016/17 - 25 GP, 6 goals, 12 assists, 18 total points (.72ppg)

Bozak will be 31 in about 3 months. Based on his year to date, age, and  contract, this is probably a pretty good season to move him. I would love to see the Leafs trade Bozak, bring up the Goat to play on the 4th line and move Matthews up to center JVR and Marner.

I like that plan

 

[bustaheims]

It's this radical concept wherein in order to get something good in a trade you also have to give something good.

That, and the fact he's not a long-term part of this team's future, so, if you can turn him into someone who could be...

 

[Zee]

Further to the craziness of the Laine vs. Matthews article from last week, Mirtle puts forth the case for Matthews based on fancy stats. 

https://theathletic.com/29536/2016/12/13/mirtle-the-key-context-the-matthews-laine-debate-is-missing/

 

[herman]

Further to the craziness of the Laine vs. Matthews article from last week, Mirtle puts forth the case for Matthews based on fancy stats. 

https://theathletic.com/29536/2016/12/13/mirtle-the-key-context-the-matthews-laine-debate-is-missing/

I've been waiting for this... Thanks!

For Toronto, Nazem Kadri?s line takes on the tough assignments, which excludes Matthews from seeing them, at least at home.

Oddly enough, Matthews does most of his damage on the road, against those theoretically tougher opponents.

		GP		G		A		PTS		EV		PP		SH		S		S%		TOI
Home		13		2		3		5		2		0		0		47		4.3		225:29
Road		14		10		5		15		9		1		0		50		20		244:10

(Hockey-reference.com)

 

[Coco-puffs]

Further to the craziness of the Laine vs. Matthews article from last week, Mirtle puts forth the case for Matthews based on fancy stats. 

https://theathletic.com/29536/2016/12/13/mirtle-the-key-context-the-matthews-laine-debate-is-missing/

I've been waiting for this... Thanks!

For Toronto, Nazem Kadri?s line takes on the tough assignments, which excludes Matthews from seeing them, at least at home.

Oddly enough, Matthews does most of his damage on the road, against those theoretically tougher opponents.

		GP		G		A		PTS		EV		PP		SH		S		S%		TOI
Home		13		2		3		5		2		0		0		47		4.3		225:29
Road		14		10		5		15		9		1		0		50		20		244:10

(Hockey-reference.com)

Big shooting percentage difference between home/road.  Almost equal amount of shots per game. 

Plus, on the road I don't think Matthews has always faced the tougher opposition.  In a lot of cases, its been the Bozak line up against the other top line.  Maybe that is just recently, while Nylander was away from Matthews.  JvR-Bozak-Marner strikes more fear than Hyman-Matthews-Brown.  Swap Brown for Nylander and it makes the decision who to put your top line out against tougher. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That 4-goal game kind of skews things a little bit too, although even without it Matthew's numbers are still better on the road.

 

[herman]

Yeah, I don't think there's anything to read into the splits (like the Leafs find ways to lose games that Matthews/Nylander put up points in) this early into the season. It's good to see he's putting up shots regardless of the situation, nearly irrespective of who he lines up with, while dragging Polak and his partner du jour up the ice.

When he's free of Polak, it's like a slingshot into Amazing Territory.

And when we finally see Rielly with Matthews/Nylander...