Auston Matthews ripped to shreds by Toronto Maple Leafs analyst
Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is not living up to the hype this season, and analyst Dave Feschuk is sick and tired of witnessing mediocrity.
Auston Matthews makes $13.25 million per season and is expected to be the best player on the team as a result of his hefty salary.
However, he hasn't even been close to the team's best player. He has 23 points in 31 games and has looked absolutely ordinary, outside of a few empty net goals here and there.
Matthews' lack of success is a huge reason why the Leafs have mostly struggled through the first half of the NHL season, and it is clear that something needs to change.
At the end of the day, the Maple Leafs fanbase wants to see better from the captain. This kind of play can't persist for much longer; otherwise, the season is over.
Auston Matthews gets called out by Dave Feschuk
On a recent edition of TSN 1050 "OverDrive," Dave Feschuk was exceptionally rough when it came to the topic of Matthews.
In fact, Feschuk made the claim that Matthews is being carried by his teammates, and that they simply don't have confidence in the captain anymore.
You have to have confidence that your guy, your number one guy, has another gear. That your number one guy can carry the team if need be. Because no matter who the coach is, guess what? In this league, sometimes your number one guy has to carry it, and for the Maple Leafs, I think this is the number one issue of the season.
He's being carried by teammates who are having better years than him....I think the general manager, the coach, and everybody else around this team would also say if they were being honest, with a little truth serum, a little eggnog and rum into the system, that, 'Hey, what do you expect us to do if our best guy, our highest paid guy, is essentially playing like he's just another guy?'
He's being carried by teammates who are having better years than him....I think the general manager, the coach, and everybody else around this team would also say if they were being honest, with a little truth serum, a little eggnog and rum into the system, that, 'Hey, what do you expect us to do if our best guy, our highest paid guy, is essentially playing like he's just another guy?'
This is a biting critique of Auston Matthews, and it is not undeserved when you consider Matthews' struggles over the course of the last two seasons.
Some have blamed these issues on head coach Craig Berube, but at some point, Matthews needs to show some resolve and take over the game.
Overall, the Maple Leafs need Matthews to take over and win this team some games. This current trend just isn't good enough.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 25 | 520 ANSWERS Auston Matthews ripped to shreds by Toronto Maple Leafs analyst Do you believe Auston Matthews should be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 65 | 12.5 % |
| NO | 455 | 87.5 % |
| List of polls | ||