NHL draft prospect Auston Matthews makes strong first impression in Switzerland

Auston Matthews, who is regarded as the top prospect of the 2016 NHL draft class, looked anything but out of place in his first string of pro games in Switzerland. The 18-year-old centre notched three goals and five points in four matches while proving to be one of the top players on the Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions.

NHL Central Scouting Service’s Thomas Roost feels the Scottsdale, AZ., native’s hockey sense has stood out about him the most. Moreover, the combination of his smarts and quick hands leads the scout to believe he resembles Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews.

“First of all, his hockey sense (makes him stand out), he thinks the game a split second in advance of a normal good player,” says Roost, who is located in Switzerland. “Then his puck control with his quick hands which give him the chance to always makes brilliant plays within tight. He looks like a future star two-way-centerman in the mold of a Jonathan Toews, a player who makes his linemates look better than they are.”

Matthews has had moments where his youth has shown, but for the most part, he has held his own against much older opponents largely because of his mature 6-foot-2, 194-pound frame.

“I noticed just a handful of situations when I might have thought about "unexperienced young player meets mature experienced player,” says Roost. “Basically, Matthews is already a mature player, also physically he is definitely ready for our league”

As expected, Matthews has helped pack rinks in Switzerland and has garnered his fair share of interest from scouts and reporters based out of North America. It's not as though the league hasn't seen a raw talent before, as the likes of John Tavares and Rick Nash played there during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, but the circumstance is unprecedented with his draft eligibility.

“It's a unique situation with such a young player and yes there is some local media interest, bigger interest than with a "normal" import player, but the most excitement comes from outside Switzerland,” says Roost. “Much more NHL scouts visit the games and a lot of media requests from Canada and the US.”

Despite his early success, the debate will continue on whether Matthews made the right decision for his long-term development by signing with the ZSC Lions. It ultimately seems that his choice will be questioned regardless of how his season plays out.  When he’s on his game, there will be chatter about how he should have played in a better pro league like in Sweden or Finland. But when the puck isn’t bouncing his way, the talk will be about how he should have played in the WHL or NCAA.

“This is difficult to tell and we never will have a proofed answer to this, but I guess it was a good, maybe not the best, decision to play pro hockey in Switzerland compared to junior hockey,” says Roost. “Maybe it would have been even more beneficial for him to play in Sweden or Finland, but also the Swiss league is not bad. It's a bit of a run-and-gun playing style league with more entertainment than real high-end quality hockey. In Scandinavia, they play is more structured hockey, but still, our league is a speedy league and he plays against men.”

In the end, regardless of what league he's playing in, Matthews has asserted himself ahead of his peers in the 2016 draft class. So much so, that some scouts, including Roost, believe he could have made an impact on an NHL team this season if he were born three-days earlier.

“Yes, he could play in the NHL (today),” says Roost. “I would give him 50 scoring points in an 82-game schedule.”

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen