Per Leafs Latest on X, the captain of the Maple Leafs has earned the distinction of being not only an elite goal scorer, but also his exceptional play at the other end of the ice:
It's an incredible feat for a player who a lot of people would have pegged as just a one-trick pony, but it's clear his hockey IQ is part of the cream of the crop. On top of scoring 69 goals; the most since Mario Lemieux in 1995-1996, Matthews also accumulated 93 blocked shots, while also recording 92 the previous year. His largest total before then was only 62, so the huge leap of 30 extra blocked shots paid dividends for the Maple Leafs; who often found themselves defensively challenged at times.
He also threw his body around too as he threw 90 hits in 2023-24 and it's not often you see star players risking their bodies for the betterment of the team; at least not perennial 50 goal scorers. To go along with winning over 50% of his faceoffs, his completeness as a player is truly evident. If he continues to work on the little things in his game, and gain just some more playoff experience and push deeper; he could contend for most complete player in the league.
