Shocking new report sparks outrage among fans concerning Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon
Photo credit: Bob Frid / Daily Faceoff
A recent post has caused quite the controversy amongst hockey fans, comparing the impact of Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche would have if he were swapped with Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The imaginary scenario has started lots of discussion analyzing both superstars, but is there a clear winner when it comes to who's more valuable to a team?
Auston Matthews or Nathan MacKinnon, which one is the true franchise player?
A recent tweet from BarDown went viral when they showed a picture of Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon in their opposing teams jerseys. The tweet got tons of fans arguing in the comments of who is better and who would make a greater impact if they swapped teams.
Nathan MacKinnon instantly makes Toronto a better team while the opposite happens to Colorado.
When looking at their careers and their accolades the clear winner is MacKinnon. Firstly MacKinnon's game is built on a rare combination of speed and power. Matthews is a world-class pure sniper, perhaps the best pure goal scorer in the league, but MacKinnon controls the game in every zone.
MacKinnon doesn't just score, he drives the entire play. He attracts all the attention of the other team's defence and he makes his teammates around him better.
Switching gears to accolades, there is no argument for Matthews. Despite winning some Rocket Richards, his trophy case looks empty compared to MacKinnon's. When the stakes are at their highest, MacKinnon rises to the occasion, while Matthews crumbles. MacKinnon has a Stanley Cup, Hart trophy, and most recently won the Four Nations tournament against Matthews' USA team in the finals.
When we bring leadership and competitiveness into the discussion, the edge still goes to MacKinnon. While it is a subjective argument, there are not many people who can rival MacKinnon's dedication to winning and success, the only other that comes to mind is Sidney Crosby. MacKinnon holds himself and his teammates to the highest standard and keeps them accountable.
When we look at the Maple Leafs, the same can't be said. We have seen in recent postseasons the turmoil their core four have had, often arguing on the bench with each other and showing clear signs of frustration especially from Matthews.
Lastly, MacKinnon is simply just a more complete hockey player. He brings speed, physicality, playmaking and goal scoring, not to mention he's almost just as good on the defensive side as he is on the offensive. Matthews is an amazing goal scorer might even become the best of all time, but he is nowhere near the complete player MacKinnon is.
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