The first week of the NHL regular season is over, and it was quite eventful. Many superstars started their seasons on the right foot, and Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid are among them. However, which player is better to have on your fantasy hockey roster right now or to trade for? Let’s dive into this debate now.
Matthews vs. McDavid After Week 1
The Case for Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Matthews has started the 2023-24 on fire. In his first two games, the 2016 first-overall pick had back-to-back hat tricks. This is quite a rare feat, as he was the fifth player in NHL history to do it. The last player to do so was Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. With that, Matthews was named the NHL’s first Star of the Week, and it was entirely deserved.
Matthews had a down season for his standards in 2022-23, posting 40 goals and 85 points in 74 games. When noting that he had 60 goals the season before, it is clear that he can do much more. So far this season, he looks right back into his 60-goal form.
Matthews was held off the scoresheet in the Maple Leafs’ last contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. However, when noting that he still has six goals in only three games, it is hard to say anything negative about his play or fantasy value.
The Case for McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
While McDavid has not dominated with goals as much as Matthews, he still has been quite productive offensively. Over his first three games, he has two goals and five points. However, he also has a minus-3 rating, but a lot of that can be blamed on the Oilers’ poor goaltending in their season opener.
McDavid has not had as much of a fantasy impact as Matthews so far this season, but he has been effective. With that, given his track record, he is surely going to heat up as the season rolls on. Keep in mind, he is the NHL’s best player by a country mile and had 64 goals and 153 points in 82 games last season.
Hold On to Matthews & McDavid
At the end of the day, if you have either of these players on your fantasy roster, do not part ways with them. Matthews once again looks like one of the NHL’s top goal-scorers, while McDavid is still producing very well. Matthews is a man on a mission looking to bounce back from an underwhelming season, and McDavid will surely improve as he continues to shake off the early-season rust.
The real question is which player will end up having the better season by the end of it. McDavid has dominated the NHL with his individual awards, but Matthews’ hot start has given him an early advantage. At the end of the day, it would not be too surprising to see Matthews win his third Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy with the way he is scoring. However, McDavid will forever be a threat to lead the NHL in points.
Nevertheless, it will be a lot of fun to see how Matthews and McDavid perform as the year continues. So far, both players are looking quite good, and their stats reflect that.