SAN JOSE — Mikkel Boedker doesn’t need a scouting report to know all about the talents of Toronto Maple Leafs rookie center Auston Matthews.
Boedker saw first hand what kind of promise Matthews held two years ago, when the Phoenix-area raised teenager spent some time on the ice with members of the Arizona Coyotes.
“You could just see it then that he was something special,” Boedker said.
Matthews is tied for the league lead among all rookies with 30 goals and 24 assists, the same numbers as Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine. But he leads all first year players with six game-winning goals and 217 shots.