Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has solidified himself as one of the NHL's top goal scorers so far in his career, which began as a rookie in the 2016-17 NHL season.

While his numbers for 2024-25 aren't what they were last season when he scored 69 goals to capture the Art Ross Trophy, he's moving up in Maple Leafs history.

Matthews scored on Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and now only trails Hall of Famer and former Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin for most goals in Toronto franchise history after passing fellow Leafs legend Darryl Sittler.

Matthews is 31 goals away from surpassing Sundin.

Following their win on Sunday afternoon, the Maple Leafs return to Scotiabank Arena to face the basement-dwelling San Jose Sharks on home ice Monday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.

Auston Matthews is in his first season as Maple Leafs captain

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Matthews, who was also named captain of Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, inherited the captaincy from John Tavares during the offseason in a move that was planned.

Matthews became the very first American-born captain in Maple Leafs history, a responsibility that he indicated he isn't taking lightly.

“I'm incredibly humbled to be named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Matthews said after being named captain. “I'm honored to follow in John's footsteps and continue our work in leading this team along with so many other leaders within our dressing room. This team, this city, and our fans mean everything to me. We all embrace the history of this franchise, and we are determined to get the job done.”

“Over these past eight seasons, we've witnessed first-hand Auston's trajectory and evolution as a player and a person,” Toronto president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan said, per NHL.com. “He's grown year over year and has shown, through his dedication to the Leafs and unwavering commitment, that he is ready to lead this Club.”

Matthews has scored 21 goals with 28 assists in 44 games this season.