Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews on pace for historic season, chasing Wayne Gretzky and other all-time greats

The NHL's leading goal scorer has lit the lamp 49 times with 29 games to go this season

By Chris Bengel Feb 21, 2024 at 10:52 am ET• 2 min read

Since his arrival to the NHL in the 2016-17 season, Auston Matthews has proved he has a knack for putting the puck in the net. After all, Matthews racked up 40 goals during his rookie campaign, which was tied for the ninth-most goals by a rookie in NHL history.

Matthews has registered at least 40 goals in six of his eight NHL seasons, including each of the last five years. The Toronto Maple Leafs star's best showing came during the 2021-22 season, when he tallied 60 goals and won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP. Matthews also set the Maple Leafs' single-season goals record with his 60-goal campaign, passing Rick Valve (54).

With about two months remaining in the NHL regular season, Matthews is on pace to shatter his previous career-highs and join some very exclusive company in the goal-scoring department. As it should come as no surprise, Matthews lead the NHL in goals (49) and has a 10-goal advantage over the next closest goal scorer in Sam Reinhart (39 goals).

The 26-year-old has 49 goals in 53 games this season, and he's on pace for 76 goals when it's all said and done. That pace has certainly been aided by Matthews' stellar play of late.