The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue their rebuild with the No. 1 center they've been coveting.
2016 NHL Draft: Toronto Maple Leafs select Auston Matthews first overall
Toronto gets a No. 1 center.
With the first pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Maple Leafs selected center Auston Matthews. The 18-year-old from Arizona was widely considered the best player available in the draft as a potential franchise center.
Matthews is a 6’3 center with loads of offensive skill. He chose to spend the last year playing against adults in the Swiss pro league with the ZSC Lions. In 36 games, Matthews accumulated 24 goals and 46 points. He was also a star for Team USA in the World Junior Championships (with 11 points in seven games) and at the World Championships in Europe (nine points in 10 games).
Playing in Toronto (the hockey hotbed of the NHL) comes with a certain amount of pressure. Matthews told our Maple Leafs blog this week that he’s prepared for it:
“I think I’m ready for all that comes with it,” he said. “For me, I just want to focus on myself. To me (the label) is fine. That’s obviously what I want to be. I want to be a No. 1 centre.”
Matthews is expected to join the Leafs’ NHL roster on Opening Night next season.
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