Getty Auston Matthews is an MVP candidate.
Former NHL player and current analyst Paul Bissonnette believes Auston Matthews should be the NHL’s MVP for the 2023-24 season.
Matthews is currently leading the NHL in goals with 69, but is sixth in points with 107, as of April 14. However, if Matthews can score 70 goals, Bissonnette believes that should be enough for the Toronto Maple Leafs star to be the league’s MVP.
Biz lays out the case for AM34 for MVP … but then reveals he declined an opportunity to vote on NHL Awards 😅
“I think Auston Matthews has slowly crept up, where people maybe from the point production standpoint wouldn’t took him as seriously as (Nathan) MacKinnon and (Nikita) Kucherov,” Bissonnette said. “But, when’s the last time a guy has scored 50 five-on-five goals? What he is doing five on five and the way that he plays defensively, to put up these types of numbers, if he hits 70 I think that he truly has to be considered for the MVP…
“The last time there’s been this much separation to the second guy in goals scored has been 24 years. What he’s doing in the goal-scoring department is remarkable, it happens every few decades, so I think right now I could legitimately say it’s a three-way tie for the MVP,” Bissonnette continued.
Although Bissonnette believes Matthews should be the MVP, MacKinnon is currently the frontrunner in terms of the betting odds. But, Bissonnette thinks should Matthews score 70 goals, he should be the league’s MVP.
However, the former NHL player revealed later that he was asked to be a vote for the league’s award, but declined it.
Matthews currently has 69 goals with two games remaining, as Toronto plays the Florida Panthers on April 16 and the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 17.
Fans Blast Paul Bissonnette
Following Bissonnette making the argument that Matthews should be the MVP, several fans ripped the analyst for his comments:
@BR_OpenIce The only people that think Matthews is in the MVP conversation is the Toronto media and the fans. Why is this guy on tv?
“(Expletive) that homers opinion,” one fan wrote.
@BR_OpenIce Biz declining to Vote because he doesn’t want the backlash of not voting for AM34 is too funny 😂
“Really? Hummm,” another fan added.
@BR_OpenIce It’s gonna go to Mackinnon because he’s the only guy without one. I think a lot of people would be fine with that too since Colorado is a mainly neutral team when it comes to hatred across the leagues fans
Most fans seem to think the NHL’s MVP will be either MacKinnon or Kucherov, which is why some fans didn’t agree with Bissonnette’s comments.
Auston Matthews’ Chase for 70 Goals
Matthews is looking to become the first 70-goal scorer in the NHL since Alexander Moginly and Teemu Selanne accomplished the feat during the 1992-93 season.
Matthews has two games left in the season to accomplish the feat. As the Maple Leafs forward chases down 70 goals, he says the support from the fans has been cool.
“It’s really nice, to have the support that we have in the city and the fan base and all that stuff. It means a lot. It’s obviously really cool and really special,” Matthews said.
Although Matthews is chasing down 70 goals, the focus for the Toronto Maple Leafs is the Stanley Cup playoffs, so head coach Sheldon Kefee says he hasn’t decided if the star forward will play in the final two games.
“We’ll make the decision that we think is best for the team. We got guys dropping right now. We’re going to have to dress 18 skaters. So, we got some guys that will not be available for us. So that, in itself, is going to be a factor. And the salary cap is what it is. We can only have so many guys. There are lots of things to sort out here in the next little bit,” Keefe said.
Toronto is in third place in the Atlantic division and will likely play the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.
Comments