TSN insider Craig Button angers Leafs fans by praising Draisaitl over Matthews

We, as hockey fans, are truly blessed that the NHL has such an abundance of young superstars these days. With guys like Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Alex Ovechkin potentially aging out of the spotlight over the next few years, young guns like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews, Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Pettersson look poised to take over.

So… with that said, can we all just get over our personal rankings and just enjoy the skill and creativity on display on any given night? No… of course not. We’re hockey fans, we’re bred to debate these things until the cows come home. So, in that tradition TSN insider Craig Button angered all of Leafs Nation when he claimed that Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews is NOT a top five player in the NHL and is not even in the same tier as Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

Check it out:

I mean… Draisaitl had 50 goals and 105 points last season to Matthews’ 37 goals and 73 points. So far this season Draisaitl has six goals and 16 points in nine games, while Matthews has eight goals and 11 points in 10 games. This shouldn’t exactly be a shocking declaration on Button’s behalf, but Leafs Nation tends to get a little sensitive when anyone is critical of Matthews.

Again, the point stands that they’re both incredible players, but we’re comparing apples to oranges. Does Matthews get to play on a line with Connor McDavid? No.