With Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers barrelling into the Stanley Cup finals, many have begun to wonder how he compares to Auston Matthews. The two players are amazing in their own right, but Tkachuk has found more success in the playoffs thus far.
An interview from the 2016 NHL draft has resurfaced, and it shows just how much we all overlooked Tkachuk back then. While most people were talking about Auston Matthews or Patrik Laine, Matthew Tkachuk was determined that his own style of play would carry him to success.
Tkachuk compares himself to Corey Perry in this interview, admiring his gritty style of play. While the comparison caught Matthews and Laine off guard, it's an accurate one. Both Tkachuk and Perry are skilled forwards with that added grittiness to their game that makes them so valuable to a team.
If you had to redraft the 2016 draft class today, people might be torn over whether they'd take Auston Matthews or Matthew Tkachuk first overall. Matthews can score 60 goals in a season, but Tkachuk is a 100-point player who brings invaluable assets like his physicality and work ethic.
