The recent home-and-home series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets, which ended in a disappointing split, made us think back to the big debate heading into the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Who was the better player between the #1 ranked Auston Matthews and the #2 ranked Patrik Laine?
At the Time, Very Little Seemed to Separate Matthews and Laine
Looking back, most prognosticators were divided about the two players. They were both prolific scorers with size (Matthews 6-foot-2, 215 pounds vs. Laine 6-foot-4, 200 pounds) and decent skating ability. In the end, Matthews got the nod because he’s a center, while Laine is a winger.
The general consensus was they were so close in ability that if their roles were reversed, Laine would have been ranked #1 and Matthews #2.
Related: Auston Matthews – The Next Ones: NHL 2016 Draft Prospect Profile
How have the two players fared in the seven years since the 2016 Draft?
Matthews vs. Laine: Year #1 (2016-17)
Statistically, very little separated Matthews and Laine in their first season in the NHL.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Matthews | 82 | 40 | 29 | 69 |
| Laine | 73 | 36 | 28 | 64 |
Matthews vs. Laine: Year #2 (2017-18)
In their second season, Laine seemed to inch ahead of Matthews, partially because Laine stayed healthy while Matthews missed time with a shoulder injury.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Matthews | 62 | 34 | 29 | 63 |
| Laine | 82 | 44 | 26 | 70 |
Matthews vs. Laine: Year #3 (2018-19)
The tide turned in Matthews’ favour in their third season, despite that Matthews missed time with another shoulder injury.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Matthews | 68 | 37 | 36 | 73 |
| Laine | 82 | 30 | 20 | 50 |
In 2018-19, Matthews’ production remained on par with his previous season, but Laine’s goal production took a 32% drop and his point output fell by 29%.
Matthews vs. Laine: Year #4 (2019-20)
In 2019-20, Laine’s game recovered, while Matthews’ game rose to the next level.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Matthews | 70 | 47 | 33 | 80 |
| Laine | 68 | 28 | 35 | 63 |
A couple of other factors came into play in the 2019-20 season. The Maple Leafs fired head coach Mike Babcock and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe. Under Keefe, Matthews’ role increased, and despite that the far more experienced John Tavares was named captain, Matthews was also emerging as a leader.
Meanwhile, in Winnipeg, rumours that Laine was not happy started to emerge, and his relationship with Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice was reported to be tenuous.
Matthews vs. Laine: Year #5 (2020-21)
In 2020-21, any comparison between the two players ended. Matthews charged ahead.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Matthews | 52 | 41 | 25 | 66 |
| Laine | 46 | 12 | 12 | 24 |
Matthews was now considered elite. He led the league in goals and finished second in voting for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Laine’s game and his relationship with the Jets fell apart to the point that he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for an equally malcontent Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Matthews vs. Laine: Year #6 (2021-22)
If this were a heavyweight bout and each season was considered a round in the fight, Matthews had Laine on the ropes in round #5, but he finished him off with a clear knockout in round #6.
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Matthews | 73 | 60 | 46 | 106 |
| Laine | 56 | 26 | 30 | 56 |
Laine suffered an oblique injury early in the season, which not only caused him to miss time but might also have affected his play when he returned. Meanwhile, Matthews was considered one of the best players in the game. Not only did he become the third player in the 21st century to score 60 goals in a single season, but he also won the Hart Trophy as MVP and was voted the league’s most outstanding player by his peers.
Matthews vs. Laine: Year #7 (2022-23)
| Player | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Matthews | 47 | 25 | 28 | 53 |
| Laine | 38 | 14 | 17 | 31 |
While Matthews’ production has fallen off this season after suffering a couple of minor injuries that forced him to miss time, he still remains a force on the ice. His 200-foot game has developed so much that he is now in the conversation for the Selke Trophy presented to the forward who “best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.”
Laine, who suffered another injury early this season, has become the second-best player on a last-place team.
Laine Over Matthews?
Given Matthews’ #1 rating and Laine’s #2 rating heading into their draft, it was probably a no-brainer that the Maple Leafs selected Matthews. Some experts at the time stated they would have gone with Laine, which often happens when the top-ranked player isn’t clear-cut.
Can we imagine what the Maple Leafs would have looked like if they had chosen Patrik Laine over Auston Matthews?
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs’ fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
