If we werenât still licking our wounds from the playoffs this would be a pretty exciting moment in Leafs history, as Auston Matthews was today announced as one of the Hart Finalists.
Nathan MacKinnon (@Avalanche), Auston Matthews (@MapleLeafs) and Connor McDavid (@EdmontonOilers) are the finalists for the 2020-21 Hart Memorial Trophy. https://t.co/78c6pDAmtm #NHLAwards #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/K9UFGAWw01
â NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 10, 2021
Weâll start by saying this award is probably going to Connor McDavid on the strength of his 100 point season, but perhaps Matthewsâ 41 goals is enough to make him the first runner up ahead of Nathan MacKinnon, who is also (obviously) very deserving of this honour, but lacked a signature stat, instead relied on actually winning games in the playoffs to stand out (voting took place before the playoffs.)
Auston Matthews scored an NHL-leading 41 goals in 52 games (41-25â66) to help the @MapleLeafs earn the top seed in its division for the sixth time in franchise history and first time since 1999-00. #NHLAwards #NHLStats: https://t.co/78c6pDRXkU pic.twitter.com/EW5XKKxfEK
â NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 10, 2021
So yeah, no Hart winners since 1955. Only the third in history. The last time the Leafs even had a finalist was with Doug Gilmour in 1993. Before that was Darryl Sittler in 1978, and Johnny Bower in 1961. In short, Toronto hasnât had a lot of Hart and this is a big deal for the Leafs.
As much as we think this looks like a lock for Connor McDavid, and as much as we are disappointed in the outcome for the Leafs this year, there is a strong case for Auston Matthews being one of the most special Leafs players in history, and this announcement can remind us that there are some things to be happy about with this team.