Auston Matthews‘ 2022-23 season was, relative to previous seasons, somewhat disappointing. He “only” scored 40 goals and 85 points, which, although in the upper echelons of the league’s production numbers, was sub-par to his previous seasons in just about every aspect of his game. Heading into this season, then, Matthews was looking for a bounce-back. Suffice it to say, he completed that goal and then some.
Regular Season
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Matthews’ regular season is that he was just one goal away from becoming the ninth player in NHL history and the first since 1992-93 to pot 70 goals in a single campaign. He sat one short of the mark for the final two games of the season but was unable to find the back of the net in those games. Still, he eclipsed the 100-point mark with ease, putting 38 assists with his 69 goals for a total of 107 points.
His underlying statistics, as we’ve become accustomed to, were elite once again. For the fifth consecutive season, his 5v5 expected goals share (xGF%) surpassed 55%. This season, the Maple Leafs controlled 56.04% of the expected goals when he was on the ice. While not as dominant as his 64.00% season in 2021-22, he was certainly among the league’s very best, placing first on the Maple Leafs and 31st in the league overall among players with at least 900 5v5 minutes. Matthews’ high-danger chance share (HDCF%) also mirrored the expectation he’s set for himself in recent years, with Toronto controlling 58.78% of the high-danger chances while he was on the ice.
Relative to the previous two seasons, Matthews’ offensive metrics decreased a bit, with his expected goals for per 60 (xGF/60) dropping to 3.16, a significant decrease from the 3.54 and 3.61 in the two most recent prior campaigns. With that said, his individual expected goals per 60 (ixG/60), or the number of goals he was expected to score per 60 minutes, was the second-highest mark of his career at 1.31 — that number put him at fourth in the NHL. His defensive game slightly improved from last season, with his expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) improving from 2.61 to 2.48. To be honest, though, none of that really matters when you put together a 69-goal season.
Related: Toronto Maple Leafs 2023-24 Report Card: Mitch Marner
With his superb 2023-24 came a plethora of trophy nominations and victories. Unsurprisingly, Matthews took home the Maurice Rocket Richard…
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