EA Sports' latest Auston Matthews ranking is causing some controversy
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Auston Matthews is used to being mentioned among the game's elite centers on the virtual ice, but that streak has come to an end.
EA Sports released its top 10 skaters at every position for NHL 27, and for the first time in recent memory, the Maple Leafs captain did not make the cut at center.
Instead, it's William Nylander leading the way in Toronto. Nylander checks in as the highest-rated Maple Leaf at 93 overall, with Matthews second on the team at 92.
Nylander also landed a spot among the top right wingers, rated fourth best at his position, one spot behind former teammate Mitch Marner.
A Notable Change From Recent Years
The omission is a shift from where Matthews has typically stood. He entered NHL 26 tied for fourth or fifth among centers with a 94 overall, and in NHL 25 he sat third behind only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
Matthews has long been treated as a lock for the position's upper tier, so seeing him fall outside the top 10 altogether marks one of the more surprising rating drops for a Toronto player in the franchise's recent history.
Recent Stats May Have Played a Role
The dip likely traces back to a rougher 2024-25 campaign. Matthews missed 15 regular-season games to injury and finished with 33 goals and 78 points, his lowest full-season production since 2018-19.
He added 11 points in 13 playoff games, respectable, but not enough to offset a down year by his own standard.
EA's ratings tend to reflect the most recent season heavily, and a quieter year combined with durability questions appears to have cost him this time around.
Whether Matthews bounces back into the top 10 next year likely depends on staying healthy and returning to his usual goal-scoring pace in 2025-26.
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