Ek's Note: So today I will introduce a new series I will be doing from time to time comparing a current young NHL player to one of the greatest players in NHL history and I ask you to come up with a better comparison in the comments. I will make my argument using nothing but my wits (and maybe a little video and/or stats) but mostly this kind of thing is just a feel. Of course these comparisons aren't entirely fair to a player, but hey...they sure are fun from our perspective. I will read the comments and post the best I see and let you decide...
When I see Auston Matthews I see...
Skills with the puck. Matthews is remarkably confident carrying the puck and has a huge arsenal of filthy stick handling moves. Many have said he plays more like a crafty small player than his actual size dictates. With the puck at times he reminds me Mike Modano...But that's not who he reminds me of.
A Confident Demeanor Beyond his Years. Matthews is great and he knows he is great. He is a smart kid and he has a really high "stare the opponent down" quality. In this way he reminds me of Getzlaf and to a less violent degree Eric Lindros..But that's not who he reminds me of.
Great vision and elusive when taking a hit. Matthews has that rare quality to see the ice a few seconds in the future. He uses this to not only set up plays and find openings in the ice, but to avoid checks...There is a little Sakic in him...and meaner version of Sakic....But that's not who he reminds me of.
When I see Auston Matthews I see... Peter Forseberg. Forsberg could beat you to the outside, make a move to the right and then find a player who no one else could see hiding on the left, or he could take the shortest distance between two points and go through you. He had a very similar stare, and as Peter got older it got all the more intense. I wouldn't have bet anyone that Peter couldn't chew through a wooden stick with his jaw.
Matthews also has that knack for scoring big goals in big moments that Foppa dazzled us with, but since Auston is still so young we have yet to see his all of his tricks in his arsenal...and the ones to come... I think it's fair to say Leaf fans will wait for every last shift he plays...
Your turn...
When YOU see Auston Matthews, YOU see... ______________________?