C Auston Matthews - ZSC Lions, NLA (2016 Draft) III

[Lonny Bohonos]

so he decided to walk around to talk to some scouts and asked about his play? sounds b.s to me. does he even know who the scouts are? does he even have no connection? At least bob Mckenzie is more reputable. Sounds like a pimp his own countrymen type of b.s.

"yo man, I'm the finnish commentator, so what do you think Mathews play ?"

"hey i'm just doing a survey, what did you think of Mathews game"

I highly doubt all of them said "he had no fire"
no way a few scouts gave the exact same opinion.


sounds total bull *****.

This makes no sense.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

He's no doubt first overall, Though wouldn't be surprised if one or both Finns out produce him in the nhl. Especially Laine, that shot will net him so many easy goals.

That's a shame he's a 97 born he should be in the last draft as well, history would have been made and a Finn would be a first overall pick.
Still hope one of the two goes first even though there's a .0001 chance lol.

It's rare enough a a non Canadian goes first and in the year two generational Finns are here it sucks he's also in this draft haha.

 

[BB88]

I absolutely agree about his compete level. To me that is the main question mark from this tournament going forward.

To a certain extent it is his playing style as he looks a bit disengaged at times like Rick Nash because he has that long stick and glides so well and is good at reading the play. He's also very cerebral and rarely forces the play as he has such good vision. I agree however I'd like to see another gear from Matthews and more drive with the game on the line.

That being said, it's a very small sample size so those that watch Matthews more probably have a better idea of his compete level. In the Russia game I think he was likely a bit gassed as he took a number of really long shifts. I'm not sure if that's on him or Wilson or both of them.

I was just so surprised as his draft profile mentions high compete level but on the 2 biggest games he was a a no show, and if you think of it he scored

2 points against Canada in the 1st game, 0 against Sweden, 0 against Rus and again 0 points in the final game, that's not dominating as it was said.

That just left me wanting more from him, but still I'd go crazy if Boston picks him.

 

[The Sweetness]

I was just so surprised as his draft profile mentions high compete level but on the 2 biggest games he was a a no show, and if you think of it he scored

2 points against Canada in the 1st game, 0 against Sweden, 0 against Rus and again zero points in the final game, that's not dominating as it was said.

That just left me wanting more from him, but still I'd go crazy if Boston picks him.

Yeah, I do agree a bit but I also think in terms of compete level Matthews is a guy that doesn't play with his heart on his sleeve in terms of getting involved in scrums after the play but instead tries to hurt you on the scoresheet.

IMO the only game where I questioned his compete level was the game against Russia. His lack of points against Sweden in both the group stages and bronze medal game was IMO due to small sample size as I thought he played well in both games. The Swedish announcers were raving about his skill in the bronze game and he could have had a ton of points and we all know the show that the Swedish goaltender put on in the group stage game. He created a ton of chances for his teammates in both games against Sweden and it shouldn't detract from his performance that he line mates didn't finish off his feeds when on another day he could have easily got a couple of points.

So, in summary his compete level is basically the only part of his game I'm not convinced is a slam dunk strength (I'm not saying it's poor due to the WJC tiny sample size).

This is why the draft is so much fun. The more we watch the top players the more we get to overanalyse them and question how good they actually are.

 

[BB88]

Yeah, I do agree a bit but I also think in terms of compete level Matthews is a guy that doesn't play with his heart on his sleeve in terms of getting involved in scrums after the play but instead tries to hurt you on the scoresheet.

IMO the only game where I questioned his compete level was the game against Russia. His lack of points against Sweden in both the group stages and bronze medal game was IMO due to small sample size as I thought he played well in both games. The Swedish announcers were raving about his skill in the bronze game and he could have had a ton of points and we all know the show that the Swedish goaltender put on in the group stage game. He created a ton of chances for his teammates in both games against Sweden and it shouldn't detract from his performance that he line mates didn't finish off his feeds when on another day he could have easily got a couple of points.

So, in summary his compete level is basically the only part of his game I'm not convinced is a slam dunk strength (I'm not saying it's poor due to the WJC tiny sample size).

This is why the draft is so much fun. The more we watch the top players the more we get to overanalyse them and question how good they actually are.

Yeah I definitely dont' expect him to fight or ask him even to battle after whistles but the only time I saw him on Rus game was due to his lazy defensive plays.

Everyone knows how good he is but I like to know what are these top picks weaknesess, our Finns get a lot of negative comments here but haven't really seen those with Matthews.

I was also just surprised how he made his points in this tournament.

 

[Beukeboom]

In what way does Matthews remind of Thornton? He is #1 in scorer in his swiss team and was the best in the US team. So hardly an assist kind of guy. He is more like a mix of Malkin and something else. Also I think he seems much more competitive and less of a floater compared to many prospects such as Eichel (as i said before). Matthews looked great in the backchecking department.

Anyway time will tell. My guess is that Matthews has a really good first year in the NHL, Laine has a decent year and Puljujarvi will struggle way more than the other two.

 

[Jussi]

There's your sign. . . I was at the tournament. He was excellent in all games except vs the Russians, who trapped the neutral zone. Without the benefit of scouting (thanks Ron Wilson), the entire team struggled to carry the puck into the offensive zone.

Well there's our sign. A veteran hockey former hockey pro >>> HFBoards poster.

 

[BusQuets]

Well there's our sign. A veteran hockey former hockey pro >>> HFBoards poster.

Also odd to point out the nationality when he's himself american.. Kinda counter productive.

 

[JA]

Is Matthews still guaranteed to be the first overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft? One scout is already looking at Laine and Puljujarvi as potentially stealing that top position in the draft ranking from him.

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/finlands-jesse-puljujarvi-patrik-laine-improve-draft-rankings-after-gold-medal-performance-at-world-juniors

Finland’s Jesse Puljujarvi, Patrik Laine improve draft rankings after gold medal at world juniors
Michael Traikos | January 5, 2016 | Last Updated: Jan 6 6:40 AM ET

HELSINKI — At least one scout said he changed his mind.

Before the world junior championship had begun, he had Auston Matthews as the clear-cut No. 1 draft-eligible prospect. Two weeks later, he was no longer so sure.

“I think the two kids from Finland might have moved past him,” said the Eastern Conference-based scout, who did not want his name used. “Or at least put themselves in the conversation.”

Chances are he is not alone.

...

 

[Beukeboom]

Is Matthews still guaranteed to be the first overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft? One scout is already looking at Laine and Puljujarvi as potentially stealing that top position in the draft ranking from him.

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/finlands-jesse-puljujarvi-patrik-laine-improve-draft-rankings-after-gold-medal-performance-at-world-juniors

They way I see it and would see it as a GM.

1. Small ice: Matthews has proven himself on small ice. Not only did he set a record in the USDP, he beat Eichel på 30 points or so, Eichel that is doing pretty good now. Also Matthews took the record from a certain Patrick Kane who is #1 in world now I'd say. So clearly he is a supertalent given those names he beat and he masters the small ice surface. Laine and Puljujarvi we don't know. Puljujarvi had 0 points last WJC-20 that was on small ice. So their transition is unknown.

2. Against men: Matthews is currently above PPG in the Swiss league with 27pts in 23 games including 16 goals. A above PPG as an 18 year old is unheard of there. Not only does he outperform old NHL players playing there such as Brunner and Nilsson he also has a higher PPG than Rick Nash and Joe Thornton had there during the last lock out. This proves he is ready to play against grown ups. Laine and Puljujarvi do well in the Finnish league that might be a bit harder to score in but they have roughly 0.5ppg and 0.3 or something. That is substansially less in a league where Barkov and Granlund had PPG. So that is some perspective that has to be taken into consideration. Also they are in their second season and their stats have not improved that much which is what took down the expectations on Tavares once in time. Non improvement.

3. Position: As been said, he is a center.

4. WJC: So some seem to have been carried away by WJC but it is such a small sample size. Laine and Puljujarvi were great but they also had the advantage of big ice and playing in their very home country in front of crazy home fans. Matthews, with the exception of the semi final played great. He was tied #1 in goals with Laine who is supposed to be a goal scorer. He also led his team and had 11 points in 7 games which is really good and is for instance better than Crosby's last WJC. Also he was really good last years WJC when Puljujarvi was not.

So to summarize, you'd be crazy not to take Matthews. He to me seems almost underrated since people got so tired by the Eichel - McDavid show last year. I didn't know too much about Matthews until a few months ago and I am a firm believer he will do better than Eichel and given how well Eichel is performing atm that is saying something.

But I have to say I do like the Laine kid, he has some serious potential too. Puljujarvi might be another Granlund but I have not seem them enough to dare to say too much.

 

[Snowsii]

I agreed everything else on you post, as it was very well written and thought.

But this:

Puljujarvi had 0 points last WJC-20 that was on small ice. So their transition is unknown.

Puljujärvi had most shots on goal? and +5 crossbars. So he just had bad luck.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Is Matthews still guaranteed to be the first overall selection in the 2016 NHL Draft? One scout is already looking at Laine and Puljujarvi as potentially stealing that top position in the draft ranking from him.

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/finlands-jesse-puljujarvi-patrik-laine-improve-draft-rankings-after-gold-medal-performance-at-world-juniors

This says it all:

“I think the two kids from Finland might have moved past him,†said the Eastern Conference-based scout, who did not want his name used. “Or at least put themselves in the conversation.â€

 

[Random Forest]

This says it all:

“I think the two kids from Finland might have moved past him,†said the Eastern Conference-based scout, who did not want his name used. “Or at least put themselves in the conversation.â€

That says absolutely nothing. When's the last time you heard a scout for an NHL team openly comment on his personal ranking list?

 

[Rabid Ranger]

That says absolutely nothing. When's the last time you heard a scout for an NHL team openly comment on his personal ranking list?

Its junk. It's an anonymous comment by an an anonymous scout who can't even make his mind. Besides, any scout worth their salt isnt going to be basing draft position on the WJCs.

 

[Madic]

I will never understand why people insist on believing those "sources" even exist. It's laughable. They're entirely anonymous: there's no accountability. I don't even care about this particular debate but if you're quoting an anonymous source, it might as well be considered fake.

 

[Passchendaele]

People put way too much stock into the WJC.

Brayden Schenn and Cody Hodgson tore it apart a few years ago and they're marginal NHLers now (though Hodgson is one step away from the AHL).

It's like hyping a goaltender who has elite numbers after five games. Sample is way too small to mean anything.

 

[Hokinaittii]

People put way too much stock into the WJC.

Brayden Schenn and Cody Hodgson tore it apart a few years ago and they're marginal NHLers now (though Hodgson is one step away from the AHL).

It's like hyping a goaltender who has elite numbers after five games. Sample is way too small to mean anything.

It's not just about the numbers, it's about how you look in those games. Laine & Pulju with Aho carried their team into elimination games while there were people like Mikko Rantanen in the team.

Not saying I have Laine or Pulju as #1 at the moment but there's always the chance for either of them to go first overall if they get the boost from WJC and continue producing it in Liiga. If they are still red hot when the season ends, it's definately not out of the question for them to take over Matthews.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Well there's our sign. A veteran hockey former hockey pro >>> HFBoards poster.

So you agree Matthews shouldn't even be in the discussion with Laine and Pulju?

Good to know.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Also odd to point out the nationality when he's himself american.. Kinda counter productive.

Counter productive? To what? Did you even read my post to gather what my point was?

 

[Semantics]

It's not just about the numbers, it's about how you look in those games. Laine & Pulju with Aho carried their team into elimination games while there were people like Mikko Rantanen in the team.

So you think Schenn and Hodgson didn't carry their team? Schenn tied the record for most points in the tournament by a Canadian. Hodgson holds the 5th spot. You don't put up numbers like that without looking dominant.

 

[Daximus]

Matthews is better than both Laine and Pulju and if you are a scout on an NHL team and you tell your Gm to take either of them over Matthews you should probably kiss your scouting career good bye because you are terrible and that will be shown in a few years.

 

[Hokinaittii]

Matthews is better than both Laine and Pulju and if you are a scout on an NHL team and you tell your Gm to take either of them over Matthews you should probably kiss your scouting career good bye because you are terrible and that will be shown in a few years.

Sucks he couldn't show that in WJC.

 

[Snowsii]

People put way too much stock into the WJC.

Brayden Schenn and Cody Hodgson tore it apart a few years ago and they're marginal NHLers now (though Hodgson is one step away from the AHL).

It's like hyping a goaltender who has elite numbers after five games. Sample is way too small to mean anything.

Umm.. Schenn was 19 years old then and Hodgson were 18 years old.
List of people who's done it younger than 18 is quite impressive (couple hickups there)
http://www.eliteprospects.com/league_total.php?season=%&leagueid=WJC-20&leagueteam=&nation=&sort=u18

Matthews is better than both Laine and Pulju and if you are a scout on an NHL team and you tell your Gm to take either of them over Matthews you should probably kiss your scouting career good bye because you are terrible and that will be shown in a few years.

Depends on what your team needs.. If a 1st line center = Matthews, 1st line winger = Puljujärvi or 1st line scorer = Laine.

 

[VictorLustig]

Depends on what your team needs.. If a 1st line center = Matthews, 1st line winger = Puljujärvi or 1st line scorer = Laine.

Not in this case. Matthews could probably play the winger position better than anyone in this draft.

 

[LoveNHL]

Matthews will go first. To discussions above should be added that Matthews is born early in the draft year while both Laine an Puljujärvi are born late. The age difference matters quite a lot.