Auston Matthews got a fair amount of attention in this week’s 30 Thoughts.
How could he not, though? If being the first overall pick wasn’t enough, he had that historic debut with four goals. There’s really no better way to announce yourself.
This brought up a couple of interesting points for Elliotte Friedman.
First (#17), there’s his style, about always finding a way to have the puck on his stick, whether he’s standing upright or not. That comes from a really excellent piece from Matthews’ father, Brian, who also went into detail about how Matthews became a hockey player - and the importance of reaching out to a market like Arizona (#16).
There’s a lot of pride to be found in that verbal essay, too; if you wanna get emotional about Matthews, definitely give it a watch.
There’s a whole off the ice world to this, too, though (#18). All of this would be a lot for anyone to take in, let alone a 19-year-old kid. But when you prove you’re the real deal pretty much right away, endorsement offers are going to be a thing.
This is where Mike Babcock (and Lou Lamoriello, for that matter) come in. Via Friedman:
It will be fascinating to watch how this plays out, because Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello came to Toronto with a mandate to put the focus back on the ice, not off it. The idea they won’t let anyone near Matthews seems silly, since Toronto made Steven Stamkos’ endorsement potential a focal part of his free-agent meeting with the organization. It’s a little different in the sense that Stamkos is older and needed to be wooed, but it shows they recognize Toronto is a different animal.
At this point in time, Matthews’ personal interests probably revolve around playing. As a budding star, there’s going to be a lot more than that going on behind the scenes. Fortunately, it sounds like the Leafs have the right people in place to help him through it - especially so he can just keep playing.
Babcock, in particular (#20). According to Morgan Rielly, Babcock is more than a good coach:
“He’s in contact with you in the summer a lot more than you’d think. Not all of it is hockey. Yes, he’s asking if you’re doing what he wants you to do, but he’s also asking what else you’re up to.”
What better kind of guy to lead a team through a rebuild? Teenage rookies are in completely different places in their lives and maturity levels than veterans. Having someone in place who, it sounds like, is also there to check up on you as a person, rather than just a player, can only be good - especially for those just now coming into the NHL.