Alex Ovechkin is to Evgeni Malkin as Auston Matthews is to Patrik Laine. Top two picks in the NHL Draft have become so exciting over the years because those picks usually end up being superstars. The Winnipeg Jets know all about that feeling right now.
As expected, the Toronto Maple Leafs took Matthews with the first pick. His career got the most attention during the first week because he did what “everyone else” wishes they could do in an NHL debut. In all seriousness, he had four goals in what could go down as the best opening night in the NHL in quite some time.
What has happened since has been quite a change of events.
Matthews has scored just twice since his first game. That sounds concerning for a team that is trying to build around him, but heavy contributions from William Nylander, Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, and Mitch Marner have helped Toronto keep pace in the point-happy Atlantic Division.
Meanwhile, the Jets have a much clearer idea of who to give the puck to. Nearly half of Winnipeg’s 42 goals have come from either Laine or Mark Scheifele. Scheifele, who broke out in a big way after Andrew Ladd was traded last season, currently leads the league with points, but Laine has taken the NHL by force.
He is the only player in the entire league to reach double digits in goals. He has two hat tricks, both being at home, and leads the league with five power play goals. It would be the understatement of the century to say that he has worked well with the likes of Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, and Nikolaj Ehlers, a likely breakout, himself, with 11 points to begin the season.
Patrik Laine channeled his inner Selanne with awesome celley after scoring against Stars. VIDEO@ https://t.co/0br7OrsIaa pic.twitter.com/r4SzAEzbrs
— BarDown (@BarDown) October 28, 2016
One of those hat tricks was in a home victory over Toronto, the same exact team with fellow Calder Trophy candidate Matthews. The Maple Leafs jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Jets came back, with Laine tying the game with under a minute remaining in regulation with his second goal.
As if it were scripted, both rookies got the opportunity to end it in overtime. Matthews had a breakaway chance that Michael Hutchinson stopped. After Dustin Byfuglien recovered the puck and passed it over, Laine took his chance and notched the hat trick and the win. The Finnish product had been disappointed about not being picked first in the draft, and he made his case with his performance in front of Matthews.
Since then, he helped the Jets steamroll Dallas with his second hat trick on Tuesday. He even has one Teemu Selanne celebration to his name. Laine has two-goal lead in the goal category (Scheifele shares second), and his slap shot has drawn comparisons to Ovechkin. Those reports are looking very accurate at the moment.
Is Laine better than Matthews? Right now, he certainly is, but it will take years to truly figure out that answer, if at all. If there is one thing that Winnipeg can be thankful for, however, it is that Kevin Cheveldayoff smartly gave the team a key centerpiece that could make this team a Stanley Cup contender in a couple of years.