Auston Matthews is the best even-strength goalscorer in the league. Frankly, it’s not close. In a market that has overhyped its share of players, we can say without exaggeration that in this attribute, he is without peer.
The raw numbers pop out. In his rookie year, he scored 32 even strength goals, leading the league. Sidney Crosby, Jeff Skinner, and Vladimir Tarasenko tied for second with 30. Last season, Matthews scored 29 even strength goals in 62 games. Connor McDavid led the league with 35. It’s safe to say that with a full bill of health, Matthews would likely have challenged for the title again.