5 records Matthews could break in his career with the Leafs

If he doesn’t have the case for it already, Auston Matthews has a decent shot at becoming the greatest player to suit up for the Toronto Maple Leafs in team history.

Sure, he might not have the Stanley Cups of some of the team’s most decorated icons in franchise history, but it’s also hard to find a player in the NHL’s modern era who has done more in a Toronto uniform.

Matthews already has got the single-season goal record locked up with 60 in 2021-22, a season where he also won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, something no Leaf had done since Ted Kennedy in 1954-55.

While the satirical publication The Beaverton crowned him as the greatest Leaf in team history after his four-goal NHL debut back in 2016, it’s clear he has been a once-in-a-generation talent since the first moment he stepped on the ice.

And with Matthews inking a four-year contract extension yesterday that locks him up through the 2027-28 season with the Leafs, it’s to wonder where he’ll end up when it comes to the franchise’s history books.

Here are five Leafs franchise records that Matthews could reasonably reach during his time as a Leaf, (counting regular season stats only):

Total goals record

Current record: Mats Sundin, 420

Matthews’ total: 299

After seven seasons in Toronto, Matthews currently ranks fifth all-time in the team’s goal-scoring totals, behind Mats Sundin (420), Darryl Sittler (389), Dave Keon (365), and Ron Ellis (332).

Given that Matthews has averaged 42 goals a season thus far in the league, he should be expected to hit the total within the next three or four seasons, if he remains relatively healthy.

Power play goals scored

Current record: Mats Sundin, 124

Matthews’ total: 76

Matthews scored “just” 13 power play markers over his first two seasons in the league, but he’s been a force with the man advantage ever since.

Since 2018-19, Matthews’ third year in the league, he’s put up at least 10 power play goals each season, topping out at 16 in 2021-22. With 48 goals left to match Sundin’s total, it won’t be an easy task, but Matthews should have plenty of opportunities to chase the career mark.

Game-winning goals scored

Current record: Mats Sundin, 79

Matthews’ total: 53

This Sundin guy was pretty good in his heyday, eh?

While Matthews has scored plenty of big goals over the course of his career in Toronto, just 17.7% of them have actually been game-winning goals.

But back in the pandemic-shortened season of 2020-21, Matthews had a league-leading 12 game-winners, which comprised 29% of his Rocket Richard-winning 41 goals on the year.

Overtime goals scored

Current record: Mats Sundin, 14

Matthews’ total: Nine

If there’s any record that Matthews could break next season, it’s probably this one.

Matthews is in need of just six overtime-winning goals in order to top Sundin’s career mark, although he’d need to set another NHL record in the process: the single-season mark by any player is currently five, shared by Alex Galchenyuk, Brad Marchand, Jonathan Toews, and Steven Stamkos.

Total plus-minus

Current record: Tim Horton, +151

Matthews’ total: +109

If there’s any record that Matthews definitely isn’t chasing, it’s probably this one.

But despite plus-minus being regarded as mostly an obsolete stat these days in favour of more advanced metrics, Matthews has posted a positive plus-minus in six of his seven seasons, topping out at +31 last season while being above +20 each of the last three.

If the trend continues upward, Matthews could reasonably top Horton’s mark over the next two seasons.

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