One of the best Americans to ever play the game has some high praise for one of the most talented American players currently in the game.
Like most in the hockey world, Hall of Famer Mike Modano has been impressed by the play of Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews.
In fact, Modano already thinks the second-year player ranks among the best players in the league.
“If you go down the league, there’s a lot of great players nowadays,” Modano said, in an interview with Sporting News. “I would say he’s definitely in the top 20 as of now.”
As for the future? Modano thinks Matthews can go as high as No. 1 — at least as far as Americans are concerned.
“Over time he probably will evolve into not only the best American [but] give Patrick Kane a run and [lead] all the stats for American-born guys. On the whole, given the city he’s playing in, Toronto, being American, I just think it’s got a formula for a pretty exciting career.”
Now that’s saying something.
Not only did Modano’s illustrious career earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame, but he is also widely considered the best American player to ever play in the NHL. Over the course of 21 seasons from 1989-2011, Modano appeared in 1,499 games and racked up 561 goals and 813 assists for 1,374 points — the 24th most in NHL history.
What’s impressed Modano the most about Matthews’ game so far is how he shoots the puck.
“It’s unexpected, (the goalies) go down, they look foolish and the thing is by them before they know it,” said Modano. “It’s a two-fold deal where he’s really able to keep pumping his legs and then all of a sudden pull it in and snap it at the same time.”
It’s that shot that led Matthews to net 40 goals in his rookie campaign en route to the Calder Trophy, and the 20-year-old has continued his scoring ways in his sophomore season. Through seven games this year, Matthews has already lit the lamp six times, including two overtime winners.
Matthews has a unique ability to release the puck while simultaneously keeping his legs moving and that’s what has Modano comparing him to some of the best the game has ever seen.
“Matthews’ ability to cross over, keep his legs pumping kind of like Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, guys who can snap that puck hard, they’re still skating when they shoot,” Modano said. “If you go back to Joe Sakic, he was the guy who kind of evolved that snap shot. He was always moving his feet as he was shooting and those guys are the most elusive because goalies just feel like they’re skating.
“They’re not going to snap the puck and then all of a sudden they take a stride or a cross over and boom, they’re able to shoot the puck in the same time, and that’s where the goalies are shocked.”
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