However, there is already a conversation surrounding Auston Matthews, who already has 398 career goals in just a short amount of time with the Maple Leafs.

Auston Matthews on Alexander Ovechkin’s record

After scoring 69 goals last season, it feels like a foregone conclusion that Matthews could approach Ovi’s record some day although longevity and health have to be on point for that to happen.

In fact, while speaking to reporters, Matthews was pretty numb to the idea that he could ever pass Ovi. Quite frankly, he doesn’t even want to think about it.

«That’s such a long way to go. I don’t think I should even be in that conversation. This guy just broke the record. I’m so far away from that, and I don’t think the focus should really be on me.»

It feels way too premature to talk about someone else surpassing Ovi after what he just accomplished over the weekend.

We should be allowing Ovi to feel the moment and get his praise for an exceptional career that includes a Stanley Cup and countless goals.

Matthews still has a lot to accomplish with the Toronto Maple Leafs and this season could be the year he gets further than he ever has before.

That is going to require tremendous effort and all we can do is hope that he lives up to the hype set out for him years ago.

Just over 24 hours have passed since Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky‘s all-time goal record. A day has passed, but the excitement continues to bubble. After all, the hockey community just witnessed history being made; it’s not something you move past so quickly. But while the focus is all on Ovechkin—and rightly so—a subsection of the hockey world has already begun to speculate about who might beat Ovechkin‘s record! In fact, Auston Matthews is one of the first players who’s commented on this line of questioning.

While it’s certainly an interesting question to think about, it arguably is quite soon to seriously discuss it in any capacity. After all, the dust hasn’t even begun settling from Ovechkin’s powerful wrister that whizzed past Ilya Sorokin to seal the deal. But of course, the conversation is quick to move to the next shiny thing, and well, within the hockey community, the question of who will break the record next seems to be it.

A multitude of fans directed their attention towards several players, including David Pastrnak, Leon Draisaitl, and Auston Matthews, among others. Nevertheless, the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs was actually asked about the prospect, though he was swift to downplay the idea. On X, Mark Masters of TSN posted a short snippet of the conversation, where his teammate Matthew Knies floated the idea of Matthews breaking the record.

But Matthews was having none of it. “And, you know, I don’t even think I should be in that conversation.” He added, “I mean, this guy just broke the record. I’m so far away from that, and I don’t think that should be a focus on myself. I mean, it should be on Ovi, and rightfully so. It should be on Ovi, and what he’s been able to accomplish in his career, and obviously this record being one of them.”