Auston Matthews Outranks Big Names in Latest NHL Center Rankings
In recent NHL rankings, Auston Matthews , the Toronto Maple Leafs’ standout center, was named the third-best center in the league. That ranking places him behind only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. Matthews was Toronto’s lone representative on the list. He edged out elite players like Leon Draisaitl and Aleksander Barkov.
There’s little doubt he’s rightfully placed among the league’s top talent. While Oilers fans might argue that Matthews could have finished fourth, Toronto fans will have no complaints about their Rocket Richard Trophy winner being recognized as one of the top three.
Auston Matthews Named Third-Best Center in the NHL
This honor is well-deserved. From a goal-scoring perspective, Matthews is coming off the best season of his career. His 69 goals were the most in the salary-cap era and the first to reach that mark since Mario Lemieux did so in 1995-96. Although he missed the 70-goal plateau, his 107 points set a new career high. In that, he surpassed his previous best of 106 in the 2021-22 season, which was also his first 60-goal campaign.
