Who Is the Maple Leafs' Better Player: Nylander or Matthews?

The debate over Nylander and Matthews became especially interesting after their performances against Colorado. Nylander scored twice and added three assists in Toronto's 6-3 victory, while Matthews recorded two goals and two assists. Both players had an outstanding night. Against Utah on Tuesday night, Matthews scored a goal and added an assist. Nylander added an assist.

Current statistics show how close Matthews and Nylander are in scoring.

Entering Thursday's game, William Nylander and Auston Matthews are tied in points, with 12 each through seven games. Both have five goals and seven assists, so the early scoring race between Toronto's two stars is as close as it gets. Nylander has the same goal and assist totals as Matthews, while Matthews has the better plus-minus rating and is winning 56.9% of his faceoffs. Nylander has a slightly lower average ice time.

So far, William Nylander’s numbers look like this: 7 games, 5 goals, 7 assists, 12 points, minus-1 rating, averaging 20:24 of ice time per game. And Auston Matthews’ numbers look like this: 7 games, 5 goals, 7 assists, 12 points, a +3 rating, and 21:55 of ice time per game. Matthews has the edge in plus-minus, shots on goal (25 to 22) and faceoff percentage (56.9% to 30.0%). Both have scored twice on the power play.

The bigger takeaway is that both players are producing at 1.71 points per game, putting them among the NHL's early scoring leaders. Matthews is tied for fifth in league scoring with 12 points. Through seven games, Toronto's two biggest offensive stars are producing at exactly the same rate. The early numbers don't settle the debate over who's the better player, but they do show just how closely matched they've been offensively.

Is there a difference between Toronto’s better offensive player and its better all-round player?

Some have suggested that Nylander might be Toronto's best offensive player, but that Matthews remains the better choice when healthy. The argument included Matthews' defensive responsibilities and the importance of playing centre. That exchange gets to the heart of the debate: what exactly are we measuring when we call someone a team's best player?

Nylander's offensive creativity and ability to generate chances make him important. Matthews brings an elite scoring history, plays a premium position and carries significant responsibilities at both ends of the ice. Neither player has to be perfect in every area to be valuable. And a lack of hits doesn't automatically make an offensive star ineffective or disinterested in winning.

Choosing the Maple Leafs’ best player involves more than scoring.

For me, the more useful question is what each player contributes to making Toronto a better team. Who drives offence? Who helps control play? Who can be trusted in difficult situations? And how much does the answer change depending on the players around them? We don't necessarily have to choose one player and dismiss the other.

What’s more interesting is that this question is being asked at all. A couple of seasons ago, few would have even put Nylander in the same conversation. This season, they are. That doesn’t answer the question, but it is good news that the Maple Leafs have two elite players to consider.