Auston Matthews' Character Comes Into Question After Major Revelation

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James Connelly
August 24, 2023 (10:31 PM)

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Auston Matthews is starting to face backlash after a major revelation that shows the difference between him and a winner.

The Major Revelation

A social media post has recently circulated showing how Auston Matthews differs from Nathan MacKinnon. The two are both the highest paid players in the NHL but MacKinnon has a Stanley Cup and is a playoff performer while Matthews does not have a cup nor is a playoff performer.

A Tale of Two Cultures.

Playoff production:
Matthews
50GP
22 goals
22 assists
Zero +/-
7 handshake lines

MacKinnon
77GP
44 goals
56 assists
+34
1 Stanley Cup

Matthews recently signed the most expensive AAV contract in NHL history at $13.25 million while MacKinnon has an AAV of $12.6 million just $100k above Connor McDavid and his $12.5 million AAV.

The Main Difference

While MacKinnon and Matthews are the two highest-paid NHLers, they have one major difference which is the culture they have established.

Looking back at their previous contracts, Matthews signed a $58 million contract that only lasted 5 years while MacKinnon signed a $44 million contract that lasted 7 years. Matthews established a precedent of getting paid while MacKinnon established a precedent of taking team-friendly deals. The two are similar caliber players yet one was making nearly double the other.

Now look at the Avalanche's top players. Cale Makar took a team-friendly deal. Mikko Rantanen took a team-friendly deal. Gabriel Landeskog took a team-friendly deal.

Now look at the Leafs' top players. Mitch Marner signed a deal similar to Matthews. William Nylander held out on his current contract and is asking for $10+ million on his next contract.

Are these players doing this if Matthews is taking a discount? MacKinnon has proved himself as a player who will prioritize the team and winning over himself while Matthews wants to ensure he eats first. This hurts chemistry and the Leafs management does not have enough money to go around.

At the end of the day, Nathan MacKinnon knows how to establish a winning culture while Auston Matthews wants to ensure he wins and nobody else does.

As seen on Habs Fanatics - Major Revelation Shows Why Auston Matthews Will Never Win A Cup