Auston Matthews isn’t just filling the net to open the season. He’s making life miserable for defenders in a new way, and that might be the most alarming part for the rest of the NHL.
The Toronto Maple Leafs captain has long been known as one of the league’s most devastating finishers. A three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner and the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer, Matthews built his reputation on pure scoring power. But after a pair of injury-marred, underwhelming seasons that sparked real doubt about whether his peak had faded, he’s answering those questions with something more than goals.
Six games into the 2026-27 season, Matthews is tied for fifth in NHL scoring with 10 points. He has six assists, good for a tie for sixth, and four goals, which puts him in a tie for ninth.
The goal total is familiar territory. The assist production is the twist.
Matthews has never been a true run-the-offense playmaker in the way the very best passers in the league are. He’s reached 45 assists in a season three times across his first 10 NHL years, and his career high is 46 from his Hart Trophy season in 2021-22. Now he’s on pace to blow past that number.
Even more striking, Matthews is tied for second in the NHL in primary assists, trailing only Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. He also shares the Leafs lead in assists with William Nylander.
That combination was on full display in Toronto’s recent win over the Colorado Avalanche. Matthews and Nylander were both threats as shooters and distributors, and Matthews set up Nylander for the goal that tied the game 3-3 late in the second period. That goal was the first of four straight for Toronto on the way to the win.
Matthews has been even hotter over the last three games, piling up six assists and nine points after opening the season with none in his first two outings. The Maple Leafs have taken five of a possible six points in that stretch.
His impact in the 5-4 comeback overtime win over the Nashville Predators showed just how many ways he can hurt a defense now. Matthews produced a crafty shot-pass off Juuse Saros’ pad that led to a Nylander power-play goal.
He also delivered a primary assist on Gavin McKenna’s first career NHL goal, placing the puck exactly where the rookie needed it. Later, Matthews set up Jack Roslovic’s goal that tied the game 4-4 early in the third period before scoring the winner himself in overtime.
For Toronto, this is the kind of start that changes the feel of an offense. Matthews is still the lethal finisher everybody knows, but the added playmaking makes him far harder to contain.
He’s not just looking like an elite scorer again. He’s looking like a far more complete problem.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Suddenly Face A Blue Line Problem Without Chris Tanev
The Maple Leafs have had to reshuffle their blue line after veteran defenseman T.J. Tanev left Saturday nights win over the Avalanche in the first period with an upper-body injury. Toronto has since placed him on injured reserve, a development that forces the team to lean on its depth a little earlier than planned and puts added pressure on a defense group that has already been working through adjustments under coach Jim Hiller.
Marshall Rifai was recalled from the Marlies to give the Maple Leafs another option on the back end, while Nick Blankenburg has been asked to take on a bigger role in Tanevs absence. For a team that values stability on defense, the mix-and-match look is not ideal, and it leaves Toronto waiting to see how quickly it can settle its pairings once Tanev is available again. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews May Be Unlocking Something New Under Jim Hiller
Auston Matthews has wasted little time giving the Maple Leafs a reason to look twice at what has changed around him. In a short run under Jim Hiller, Matthews has already produced two four-point games, a burst that stands out next to the more limited high-end scoring he had across two seasons under Craig Berube. The sample is tiny, but it is hard not to notice the difference when one of the leagues most dangerous finishers starts flashing that kind of ceiling again.
The explanation may not be simple, and it probably is not just about Matthews suddenly seeing the ice differently. Coaching style, ice time, linemates and power-play usage all come into the conversation here, because those are the details that can either feed a scorer or starve him of chances. The Leafs are still early in this evaluation, but if Hiller is opening up new offensive lanes for Matthews, it is the sort of adjustment that could matter well beyond a six-game snapshot. [Read more 🡒]
William Nylander Is Driving Why The Maple Leafs Look Dangerous Again
William Nylander keeps giving the Maple Leafs the kind of offensive push that changes the feel of a game before it even settles in. In Torontos 6-3 win over Colorado, he was central to everything, helping fuel a stretch that has the Leafs looking far more dangerous early in the season and making life easier for teammates who have been able to build off that momentum.
The scoring burst also fit neatly into the bigger arc of Nylanders career in Toronto, where his production has become the kind of steady force this team can lean on. With the way he is driving play right now, the Leafs are getting both immediate results and a reminder that their top-end skill can tilt a night quickly when he is rolling. [Read more 🡒]