Auston Matthews' evolving defensive game is a nightmare for NHL opponents

Auston Matthews’ torrid goal-scoring is a known quality, and he lit the league on fire during the opening week of the 2023-24 campaign, becoming the first Maple Leafs forward in 20 seasons to record consecutive hat tricks.

Matthews won the Hart Trophy in 2022 largely due to his 60-goal, 106-point campaign, earning 116 first-place votes from the PHWA’s electorate.

Through the early stages of the campaign, Matthews’ best pathway to a second Hart in three years may be through his overall defensive impact. Matthews has been placed on the penalty kill to start the year, he led all forwards in shots blocked last season and due to his nearly unmatched ability to dislodge defenders from the puck, he may be one of the best two-way players in the NHL.

“It's special to see him up close and in practice every day,” Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor told Yahoo Sports. “His work ethic is something I've noticed is next level. Just the work he puts in off the ice as well, he's one of the first guys in the rink at practice, he's getting work in, he's getting treatment, he's in the gym. He's working on his craft. He's a really special player.

“I think he thinks the game really well, that helps him be a solid defensive player. He's got a really strong stick, he gets it in lanes, he's able to strip guys pretty consistently out there and he's a really solid defensive player.”

Wild defenseman Calen Addison outlined Matthews’ overall two-way impact and his ability to disrupt plays with his length prior to their game on Oct. 14.

"I think that reach and protecting the puck that he has, it's hard to defend,” Addison told Yahoo Sports. “You always have to have your stick in the right spot because you have your stick on the puck. He's so dangerous and his release is so dangerous. I just think being tight to him is the key."

Matthews is currently tied for seventh among forwards with seven blocked shots at 5-on-5, and tied for eighth among forwards with six takeaways. Among all 232 players with 80 minutes played at 5-on-5 — this wasn’t an arbitrary number, it’s meant to wield out players with less impactful minutes and weaker opponent matchups — Matthews ranks 59th in expected goals against per 60.

Mitch Marner, Toronto’s other superstar forward, a Selke finalist last season, is ranked 37th as a point of comparison and there’s fractional differences between Matthews and players ranked within the top 20. Marner is ranked 18th among all forwards, while Matthews is 27th. The pathway to Selke and Hart Trophies is clearly laid out.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe outlined that Matthews and Marner’s elite offensive abilities force opponents to be weary when they’re deployed on the penalty kill.

"You don't have a choice but to be aware,” Keefe said of Matthews’ presence. “You try not to be conscious of it when you have the puck. When you're on the power play, if you're already thinking of reducing risk or not getting scored on, you're already sort of beating yourself. As much as a power play is an advantage, five players versus four, the stats show the advantage is with the penalty kill in terms of how difficult it is to score. There's a reason why a 25% success rate is elite on the power play.”

“You try not to be too conscious of it when you have the puck because you have to attack, you have to score. The moment the puck's in question, those are nerve-wracking situations because it's more challenging to transition quickly to defense on the power play mentally than it is at 5-on-5."

Matthews does so many small things well defensively and the common point that all players spoke about was his active stick. He’s a huge center with tremendous reach and he can pick off his opponents from virtually anywhere on the ice.

Matthews has been able to disrupt passing lanes regularly, and here are a few examples from Toronto’s Oct. 19 game against the Florida Panthers.

Panthers forward Anton Lundell attempts a routine offensive zone entry while the Maple Leafs employ a 1-2-1 wall. Lundell can’t get around Matthews, who easily pokes the puck away and immediately tries to capitalize on the turnover. Matthews pushes the puck past Gustav Forsling in a race to establish position.

And here’s where Matthews makes a play he does several times per game: he converges on Forsling behind the net and cuts him off by using his body to get in front of Forsling’s skating lane, completely enveloping the Panthers defender as he loses the puck. Matthews does this several times per game: if the Leafs dump the puck in, expect No. 34 to be racing in and eliminating potential exit lanes.

Matthews then swoops around and almost scores off a quick release. He’s a veritable nightmare every time he’s on the ice.

Matthews’ active stick is everywhere and he can jump passing lanes simply by reaching out at the right time. He’s always been hyper-aware of his surroundings offensively and for the better part of three seasons, it’s translating in all situations.

In the below clip, Matthews breaks up a golden scoring chance for the Panthers, robbing Sam Reinhart of what would’ve been a sure goal.

“It’s not just the goal-scoring, his ability to finish plays, it’s how he wins battles,” John Tavares told Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. “His puck protection and the way he is able to manoeuvre his body and control the puck, I’m not sure if people talk about it a lot. But we recognize it in here.

“It’s something that’s really hard to do, which he makes look easy. He sees and understands the game so well and is able to move in space and time and recognize the situation.”

Matthews has recorded seven goals and eight points in six games and will almost assuredly reach the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career, barring injury. He’s the best goal-scorer in hockey and that will always have cache in league circles.

Matthews has truly evolved into a two-way menace, the threat of his active stick in passing lanes, his imposing physical presence on the forecheck, all-around hockey intelligence and his ability to transition defense into instant offense provides a different pathway to the Hart Trophy than the one he took two years ago.