Let's be honest, people just hate the Leafs.
- RogerRoeper

I hate the leafs

In a game 7 of stanley cup finals TODAY, I'm taking:

1) Crosby
2) McDavid
3a) Draisaitl
3b) Bergeron
3c) MacKinnon
6) Jack Eichel (based on intensity and recent play)
7) Auston Matthews

May change in future...
- AlfieisKing

I'm taking Connor brown

Mackinnon is better right now.

Any conclusion that assumes he is better going forward is willfully ignorant.

The truth is, we just don't know. I think we all know Matthews *can* be at least as good but question is, will he fulfill that potential.
- Aetherial

They are two different players.

One is arguably the best goal scorer in hockey. His 5v5 goals are the most by any player in the NHL since he came into the league.

Mackinnon is the better playmaker with only a few players in the league who can match his speed.

Having said that, if you are to compare their first 4 campaigns, these two aren't even in the same conversation. It isn't ignorant to suggest that Matthews might be the better player going forward if one looks at his career thusfar. We should also take into consideration that he was severely underutilized under Babcock's watch.

Anyway, it's an ultimately click-baitey, silly debate. It's full of speculation, arbitrary comparison, and subjective bias.

I'll leave it at this: one wonders how people might vote if these players were to switch uniforms.

In a game 7 of stanley cup finals TODAY, I'm taking:

1) Crosby
2) McDavid
3a) Draisaitl
3b) Bergeron
3c) MacKinnon
6) Jack Eichel (based on intensity and recent play)
7) Auston Matthews

May change in future...
- AlfieisKing

Bates Battaglia

Scoring more on PP doesn't equal more TOI.

Mack had more TOi the first 4 years. Matthews plyed slightly more first 2 years and years 3 and 4 mackinnon leapped him.
- RogerRoeper

Where's your source for pp time then?

ATOI...
Mackinnon.. 17:21 / 17:03 / 18:52 / 19:57
Matthews .. 17:38 / 18:08 / 18:33 / 20:58

Does not seem like Mack averaged more than Matthews.

https://www.hockey-refere.../players/m/mackina01.html

.

Every person sees a total different picture but here's what I take from all this and I'm not knocking Mac in the slightest bit.. Mac was mediocre at best until the team around him started to get a lot better and that's when he started to breakout. Matthews appears on a Leafs team that was last overall and proceeds to take them to the payoffs and posts 40 goals as a 19 year old rookie No he didn't play with Marner that year, Marner and Nylander were splitting duty on the 3rd and 4th line depending on who was in Babcock's dog house at the time.
Matthews is arguably the best 5vs5 goal scorer on the planet since entering the league. Mac on the other hand relies on the PP to produce, 1\3 of his totals come from there.
Matthews scores 5 goals in 7 games against the stingy defensive minded Stanley Cup finalist Boston Bruins and people say meh! Mac gets 6 goals in 12 games and wow man he's so dominate.
Yes Leaf fans can be bias, but its the hate of other fan bases that also causes a little bit of blindness in it all.

- Buck Norris

The odds of getting an honest opinion from other fan bases about a leafs player is almost none.
People on here saying Mac is better defensively is just wrong, he isn’t. Terrible on faceoffs, check out their turnover differential, just for laughs.

I'd take Mathews if it weren't for that stache. How does he go outdoors with that thing on his lip never mind playing in front of thousands of people. Does he have no mirrors at home? Geez it's worse than Elliotte Friedman's

I'd take Mathews if it weren't for that stache. How does he go outdoors with that thing on his lip never mind playing in front of thousands of people. Does he have no mirrors at home? Geez it's worse than Elliotte Friedman's
- Hardbalz

I'd take Mathews if it weren't for that stache. How does he go outdoors with that thing on his lip never mind playing in front of thousands of people. Does he have no mirrors at home? Geez it's worse than Elliotte Friedman's
- Hardbalz

The stache definitely factors in.

MacKinnon is a more complete player that plays a physical two way game.

omg Matthews all day, his first 4 years destroys Mac..
nate guy averaged like 50 points.

you take AM all (frank)in day
- senstroll

Yep

Leaf haters whiffing badly on this obvious question

MacKinnon is a more complete player that plays a physical two way game.
- islansjet

omg Matthews all day, his first 4 years destroys Mac..
nate guy averaged like 50 points.

you take AM all (frank)in day
- senstroll

If the thread question was who would you take going forward, I'd completely agree.

But right now I'd take Mackinnon.

Does Matthews have a better shot though? I don't think you can say he is clearly ahead of MacKinnon in that area. They are both probably top-3 in the league with Ovechkin. Sure, you can call him a better goal scorer considering he scores more goals, and better in front of the net, and at redirecting pucks, but in terms of just their shot I can't accept that he is clearly better.

Admittedly I don't watch much Leafs...

MacKinnon's best abilities are speed, puck-handling and shooting. Interesting that you call him a better passer. I wouldn't really call passing a big strength for him. It's more that he is able to break down the defence with his speed and puck-handing, creating openings for everyone around him, so he can give the puck to a teammate to give them a good scoring chance.

One thing that MacKinnon is bad at: 3-on-3 OT. He tries to do too much by himself and looses possession too often. 3-on-3 is all about keeping possession.

If the thread question was who would you take going forward, I'd completely agree.

But right now I'd take Mackinnon.
- GreatGigInTheSky

This. In this current season, Mackinnon is the better player.

I'd take Mathews if it weren't for that stache. How does he go outdoors with that thing on his lip never mind playing in front of thousands of people. Does he have no mirrors at home? Geez it's worse than Elliotte Friedman's
- Hardbalz

Whoa. I think you need to take a gander at Frieges 'stache again.

Eklund: Who's Better: Auston Matthews or Nathan McKinnon...
- Eklund

who cares?

Austin Matthews had more TOI his first 4 years than Mackinnon did.
He also had more pp goals and assists - I'd he say he had more time there too.
If you took the time to look this up you'd know this.

So try again.
- Nasty_Duck

This is all true, we already know that Matthews was far superior to MacKinnon in their respective first 4 years. Mattews will be better than MacKinnon in their respective next 4yrs as well - pretty obvious to any none Leaf hater.

Where did I say "slow down"?
Pretty sure I said "and does have room for even more improvement". How the frank do you get "slow down" from that???

And for teams - go look at the point totals of all the players on Col for the first 4 years of Mackinnon, then do the same for Leafs and Matthews.
- Nasty_Duck

I said he isn't going to "slow down", not you.

Why do you assume anyone who does not pick Matthews is a Leaf hater?
I didn't choose either.
I never once said they were the worst team in the league.

The year Matthews started they also had Nylander and Kadri and Marner and JVR - all having excellent season. They scored 251 goals - pretty good supporting cast as far as points generation and also made the playoffs.

The year Mackinnon started Col scored 250 goals - pretty good and he got 63 points.
Then the wheels fell off Col bus and they scored 219 goals, then 216 goals then 166 goals - coincidentally the worst years for Mackinnon. The team had trouble scoring goals and it wasn't just Mackinnon.
- Nasty_Duck

So basically MacKinnon needs the supporting to cast for his points to be there? And if his supporting cast doesn't do well, than neither does MacKinnon? Landeskok, Iginla, Stastny, Duchene....

Matthews started his career with rookies and 3rd/4th line players....but he still managed to get better every single year putting up close to elite goal scoring numbers.

This is all true, we already know that Matthews was far superior to MacKinnon in their respective first 4 years. Mattews will be better than MacKinnon in their respective next 4yrs as well - pretty obvious to any none Leaf hater.
- Cooshie

No guarantee of this

The odds of getting an honest opinion from other fan bases about a leafs player is almost none.
People on here saying Mac is better defensively is just wrong, he isn’t. Terrible on faceoffs, check out their turnover differential, just for laughs.
- shack67

I don't think fan bases outside of Toronto have any clue how good an overall players Matthews is. MUCH better than MacKinnon in his own zone.
As for playmaking, sure, MacKinnon puts up more assists (has incredible speed)...but anyone who watches Matthews skate with the puck knows there are only a handful of players who can control the puck as well (MacKinnon is not one of them).

This will be a none conversation in the next few years when Matthews is outshining MacKinnon in virtually every way. Similar to how no one compares Laine to Matthews anymore!

No guarantee of this
- Aetherial

I guess Matthews could retire, or have a career ending injury (same as retiring)...
But I would bet $$ with odds that he will be better.

MacKinnon is a more complete player that plays a physical two way game.
- islansjet

Explain "More complete"....Matthews is a better goal scorer, Matthews turns the puck over less, Matthews is better defensively....

I guess MacKinnon is faster, more physical and sets up more goals - but hardly makes him a more complete player.

Sean Couturier.
- bruceflyers