C Auston Matthews - USNTDP, USHL (2016 Draft)

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usascout1

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Um what? Matthews is a class or 2 ahead of Larkin. Really shouldnt even be a discussion. Larkin will never be a #1 center in the NHL, Matthews will...

Agreed. He will be a number 1 draft pick in 2016. Something Eichel and Larkin will not achieve.
 

usascout1

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Weird argument as Eichel would be #1 in every other year.

Not really, as Auston Matthews is as good if not better in certain ways as Eichel right now. Next year at this time he may be better than Eichel. I have seen both play 50 plus games live and auston matthews is every bit as good and strong as Eichel right now. Also, not a weird argument as I was responding to a previous poster saying Matthews projected more like Larkin and not in the same league as Eichel. This is my opinion based on live viewings and in talking to scouts at those viewings.
 

WhiskeyYerTheDevils

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Not really, as Auston Matthews is as good if not better in certain ways as Eichel right now. Next year at this time he may be better than Eichel. I have seen both play 50 plus games live and auston matthews is every bit as good and strong as Eichel right now. Also, not a weird argument as I was responding to a previous poster saying Matthews projected more like Larkin and not in the same league as Eichel. This is my opinion based on live viewings and in talking to scouts at those viewings.

I agree with some of what you are saying, but Matthews lacks the skating ability of Eichel, and always will. But for my money, he's got the better puck skills and cycle game, and is in general a more elusive player who can slow the game down better than Eichel.

That all said, I still have Eichel a bit above Matthews.
 

Mount Kramer Cameras

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Not really, as Auston Matthews is as good if not better in certain ways as Eichel right now. Next year at this time he may be better than Eichel. I have seen both play 50 plus games live and auston matthews is every bit as good and strong as Eichel right now. Also, not a weird argument as I was responding to a previous poster saying Matthews projected more like Larkin and not in the same league as Eichel. This is my opinion based on live viewings and in talking to scouts at those viewings.

Yeah, he looks incredibly similar to Eichel. The same long stride, big body, presence on the ice
 

Mickey the mouse

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Not really, as Auston Matthews is as good if not better in certain ways as Eichel right now. Next year at this time he may be better than Eichel. I have seen both play 50 plus games live and auston matthews is every bit as good and strong as Eichel right now. Also, not a weird argument as I was responding to a previous poster saying Matthews projected more like Larkin and not in the same league as Eichel. This is my opinion based on live viewings and in talking to scouts at those viewings.

I will stand by what I said .

Matthews is more comparable to Larkin than he is to Eichel.

His skating and power are not equal to Eichel and his vision and ability to slow a game down isn't either.

Eichel has already proven himself against men, dominated NCAA in 1 of top 2 conferences ( NCHC other ) and won Hobey.

Matthews is a bit thicker than Larkin and looks physically stronger but he also looks very mature in body structure and Larkin still looks like he has more growing to do.

I would love for Matthews to go NCAA route and try to put up the season Eichel had but that's not going to happen.

If he goes to WHL, he will come close to if not break many scoring records and would be totally dominant. I hope he goes to Europe for better development. I would say that he puts up better #'s than most if not all of the Euro's drafted early in the last few years.
 

nanzenkills

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Um what? Matthews is a class or 2 ahead of Larkin. Really shouldnt even be a discussion. Larkin will never be a #1 center in the NHL, Matthews will...

While I think that Larkin could be a #1 center in the NHL if his development goes really well, I would say that regardless of whether you like Eichel better or Matthews better, Matthews is closer to Eichel than he is to Larkin.
 

AmericanDream

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While I think that Larkin could be a #1 center in the NHL if his development goes really well, I would say that regardless of whether you like Eichel better or Matthews better, Matthews is closer to Eichel than he is to Larkin.

Agree with this. Larkin was always viewed at as a Kesler type player...Smart and skilled but not elite. I am so happy he has really turned it on and hopefully in a few years will be a top 3 center for the US...but Matthews is and has been at another level and it isn't that of Larkin. I love Larkin and believe he will be a great player but Eichel and Matthews could be the next Modano-Roenick from the early 90's...if not better...
 

YEGJuniorFan

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Eh, guess he could be a Derek Stepan #1 center, but do you count that as a legit #1?

I just was nitpicking you as there is no way to know for sure. Yea, I see what you are saying and if Larkin turns out as good as Stepan, I think the Wings will be pretty happy. I think Matthews is a lot closer to Eichel than he is to Larkin though.
 

WhiskeyYerTheDevils

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Everett would be great, just to get another data point of how star players transition from the USNTP to the CHL.

From a few of the data points I could gather, it seems as if scoring pace from the USNTDP translates very well to the CHL, with 0.85X - 1.5X conversion rate for most of the players I've checked out. But most of these guys, while good players, were far from stars (think Hartman, Matteau, Samuelsson, Boucher, etc) or they were defenseman (Seth Jones).

So if he does choose the CHL route, it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Given his season of 48 points in 24 gp, I wouldn't be surprised if he lit up the dub in a similar manner to the way McDavid did the OHL (on a lesser scale). I wouldn't be shocked to see him score 130-145+ points if he plays ~55 games. But the dub is a bit more of a defensive league, so he could end up with closer to 100 points. Anything substantially below 2 ppg would be a bit of a disappointment IMO.
 

La Cosa Nostra

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Not really, as Auston Matthews is as good if not better in certain ways as Eichel right now. Next year at this time he may be better than Eichel. I have seen both play 50 plus games live and auston matthews is every bit as good and strong as Eichel right now. Also, not a weird argument as I was responding to a previous poster saying Matthews projected more like Larkin and not in the same league as Eichel. This is my opinion based on live viewings and in talking to scouts at those viewings.

:laugh:

Auston Matthws is not as good or strong as Eichel is now that is ****ing ridiculous.Eichel>Matthews
 

NTDP

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Everett would be great, just to get another data point of how star players transition from the USNTP to the CHL.

From a few of the data points I could gather, it seems as if scoring pace from the USNTDP translates very well to the CHL, with 0.85X - 1.5X conversion rate for most of the players I've checked out. But most of these guys, while good players, were far from stars (think Hartman, Matteau, Samuelsson, Boucher, etc) or they were defenseman (Seth Jones).

So if he does choose the CHL route, it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Given his season of 48 points in 24 gp, I wouldn't be surprised if he lit up the dub in a similar manner to the way McDavid did the OHL (on a lesser scale). I wouldn't be shocked to see him score 130-145+ points if he plays ~55 games. But the dub is a bit more of a defensive league, so he could end up with closer to 100 points. Anything substantially below 2 ppg would be a bit of a disappointment IMO.

I am always interested on seeing these things pan out as well. If Eichel played in the Q this past year he would have tore it up. Some of the best players on the NTDP don't always go the CHL route. Just imagine if Dylan Larkin committed to the Erie Otters and played with McDavid and Strome instead of playing for Michigan last season. He alone could have made that team even better than they were. Or if Werenski went to London, and Hanifin to the Mem Cup hosting Remparts. Of kids coming onto the U.S. U-17 team next year, most could play major junior if they wanted to. Some very talented 99 birth years coming into the program.

Oh and by the way I'm not saying Werenski would have put London in the Western Conference final or Hanifin would have pushed Quebec to a Memorial Cup, I'm just saying they would be very impactful players on their major junior teams.
 
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WhiskeyYerTheDevils

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I am always interested on seeing these things pan out as well. If Eichel played in the Q this past year he would have tore it up. Some of the best players on the NTDP don't always go the CHL route. Just imagine if Dylan Larkin committed to the Erie Otters and played with McDavid and Strome instead of playing for Michigan last season. He alone could have made that team even better than they were. Or if Werenski went to London, and Hanifin to the Mem Cup hosting Remparts. Of kids coming onto the U.S. U-17 team next year, most could play major junior if they wanted to. Some very talented 99 birth years coming into the program.

Oh and by the way I'm not saying Werenski would have put London in the Western Conference final or Hanifin would have pushed Quebec to a Memorial Cup, I'm just saying they would be very impactful players on their major junior teams.

Oh no doubt. The kids who make the USNTDP team are typically very very good players in the CHL, whereas they may have been more of a role player with the USNTDP squad.
 

UsernameWasTaken

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Feb 11, 2012
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I am always interested on seeing these things pan out as well. If Eichel played in the Q this past year he would have tore it up. Some of the best players on the NTDP don't always go the CHL route. Just imagine if Dylan Larkin committed to the Erie Otters and played with McDavid and Strome instead of playing for Michigan last season. He alone could have made that team even better than they were. Or if Werenski went to London, and Hanifin to the Mem Cup hosting Remparts. Of kids coming onto the U.S. U-17 team next year, most could play major junior if they wanted to. Some very talented 99 birth years coming into the program.

Oh and by the way I'm not saying Werenski would have put London in the Western Conference final or Hanifin would have pushed Quebec to a Memorial Cup, I'm just saying they would be very impactful players on their major junior teams.

Definitely. That's the great thing about US players who make the transition from NTDP to the CHL - all of them immediately light it up and dominate.
 

scipio

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Apr 21, 2015
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Some news from a Swiss newspaper (in German: link): it looks like there are difficulties with getting the working permit. The sporting director of ZSC Edgar Salis is quoted that "it is difficult to get the permit". Another sporting director says that he could not understand if Matthews would get the permit, as the laws are clear. The overall impression I get from the article is that Matthews will not come, as other options are quoted by ZSC sporting director Edgar Salis ( Kris Focault and Daniel Sorvik who are playing for the farm team and players that don't make it to NHL teams after NHL training camps).
 

Skinnyjimmy08

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Mar 30, 2012
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recent news on Matthews....

The Everett Silvertips may be back in the running as they attempt to get F Auston Matthews on to their roster. Matthews, who is projected as a potential No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft, has signed a contract with the Zurich-based ZSC Lions, who play in Switzerland’s top pro league. . . . That signed contract would seem to take care of his NCAA eligibility. . . . However, he has been unable to get a work permit. In order to get a work permit in Switzerland, hockey and soccer players need to have played professionally for one year. Matthews played last season in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . Edgar Salis of the Lions has told Klaus Zaugg of the Limmattaler Zeitung, a Swiss German-language newspaper, “I think it is difficult.” Salis added that if the work permit doesn’t come through, the Lions will move on. He said that there won’t be a lawsuit in an attempt to get the permit. . . . The Silvertips selected Matthews, who is from Scottsdale, Ariz., in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had 116 points, 55 of them goals, in 60 games with the U.S. national U-18 team and 48 points, including 20 goals, with the national U-20 team.
 

usascout1

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Auston Matthews who I am a big fan of did not have anything close to 20 points during the U20 WJC. Larkin led the team in points during the tourney. Other than that - sounds like he may end up in the WHL.
 

JJTT

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He will get a work permit from Finland or Sweden if he really wants to go the European route.
 

Paxon

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Auston Matthews who I am a big fan of did not have anything close to 20 points during the U20 WJC. Larkin led the team in points during the tourney. Other than that - sounds like he may end up in the WHL.

That was referring to Matthews' 48 points in 24 games with Team USA in the USHL, not the WJC.
 

AKL

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He will get a work permit from Finland or Sweden if he really wants to go the European route.

I don't think he's considering Sweden or Finland, but it would be interesting to see how he performs in those leagues compared to other draft eligible players in the past few years.
 
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