Auston Matthews is the future of the NHL, so pay attention

Auston Matthews has proven during his rookie season that he is the real deal. For that reason he should inspire a generation of American hockey stars especially in non-traditional hockey markets.

What a difference a year makes for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

At this point last season, Toronto had just traded away a slew of players and were at the bottom of the NHL standings. The pain that management promised when Mike Babcock was hired was real, but so far it seems to have been worth it. In June, The Leafs won the draft lottery, giving them a shot at the number one center the team has needed for years.

So, one of the most storied franchises in the NHL used this first pick to draft the Arizona-born Auston Matthews. An 18-year-old who had the potential to be one of the greatest positive signs that hockey in the desert actually makes works. A lot of the Leafs’ success can be tied to the great rookie season of 2016 first overall pick, Auston Matthews.

The Arizona Coyotes have never been very successful on the ice. But it turns out that the team is inspiring kids to put on skates and play hockey in the desert. With Matthews’ success, it should only provide more inspiration for the younger generation in Arizona and maybe even other southern states to try playing hockey.

For the NHL to find any sort of success in the southern U.S., it required the greatest hockey player in history, Wayne Gretzky, to leave Edmonton for Los Angeles in 1988. The Great One never one a Stanley Cup in L.A., but he got people interested in the sport. By the end of the 90s there would be two more NHL franchises in California and a total of five lining the west coast.

This is not to say that Matthews is the second coming of Gretzky in terms of skill. But if Matthews can lead eventually lead the Leafs to a Cup in the near future, he will be a whole different type of legend. Think about that: one of the NHL’s original six reviving it’s legacy thanks to a kid who learned to skate in the desert.

Thus a situation would be no bigger endorsement for hockey’s success in non-traditional markets, which could inspire the next generation of American hockey players.

It all started with his historic NHL debut. Matthews became the first rookie to ever score four goals in his first NHL game. But in a sign that this Leafs season might still be filled with bad luck, Toronto lost the game 5-4 in overtime.

After that wonderful start, Matthews hit a bit of a rough patch, including a 13-game goalless streak. But there was no need to panic. Matthews and the Leafs soon found their footing. Now, as the calendar rolls over to March, Toronto sits in a playoff spot. Matthews is tied for the lead in rookie scoring with 30 goals and 24 assists, with second overall pick and growing rival, Patrik Laine.

As a first overall pick, the spotlight was always going to focus on Matthews, but being in Toronto intensifies that.

Luckily, he is living up to the hype, and he has a lot of help. Toronto is filled with talented rookies like Matthews’ line mates Zach Hyman and William Nylander, as well as the currently injured Mitch Marner. Frederik Andersen is proving to be a solid number one goaltender who can keep the Leafs in games when the young defense falters.

But the main focus will always shift back to Matthews. The pressure of playing in Toronto and constant comparison to Laine is creating a rivalry, at least in the media, not seen since the early days of Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin.

Related Story: Auston Matthews vs. Patrik Laine: Who won the second showdown?

It could have been a very different story of Matthews if he was just two days older. In that case, he would have been in the 2015 draft class. And according to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, Matthews would have been drafted third behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.

Instead of playing under the intense media microscope of Toronto, Matthews would be playing for his hometown Coyotes. But while there’s the subplot of Matthews inspiring kids in the desert to play hockey, Matthews represents the future of the NHL so now is the time to start really paying him some attention.