Auston Matthews on the Verge of Remarkable Feat Placing Him Amongst All-Time Leafs Greats

As excitement builds around the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into a new season filled with major roster changes, fans have plenty to look forward to -- especially one storyline involving captain Auston Matthews.

Matthews is on the verge of making franchise history, and it could happen sooner than most think.

Despite battling injuries last season, Matthews still managed to score 33 goals in 67 games -- a solid total for most NHL players, but well below the standard he's set as a two-time 60-goal scorer. Regarless of last season's struggles, many consider Matthews to be the best in the league at putting the puck in the net.

Now, he stands on the cusp of becoming the Maple Leafs' all-time leading goal scorer.

With 401 career goals, Matthews is just 19 behind franchise leader Mats Sundin, who holds the record at 420. What makes this even more remarkable is that Matthews has played 352 fewer games than Sundin. At his current pace, Matthews could break the record in nearly 300 fewer games -- a staggering feat that highlights his elite scoring ability.

His ability to break the record should come as no surprise, as he already holds the franchise record for most goals in a single season, scoring 69 in 2023-24 and breaking his own previous mark of 60.

Matthews and Sundin also share another key trait. Both are captains and posses great leadership skills. While Matthews is still growing into his role as captain, he continues to earn praise from teammates and coaches for his leadership both on and off the ice.

The quest to become the Maple Leafs' all-time top goal scorer officially begins on October 8th, when Toronto opens the season at home against their longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.