United States center Auston Matthews and Finland right wing Patrik Laine, the projected top two picks at the 2016 NHL Draft, looked comfortable against NHL-caliber competition during the 2016 IIHF World Championship in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Russia.
Matthews (6-foot-1, 210 pounds), from Scottsdale, Ariz., is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of international skaters for the 2016 draft, which will be held at First Niagara Center in Buffalo on June 24-25. He led the United States, which finished fourth, in goals (six) and power-play goals (three), and was tied for the lead with Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings) for points (nine) in 10 games. He had 28 shots on goal for a 21.43 shooting percentage, and he was named one of the United States' three best players of the tournament despite the 18-year-old being the youngest player on the roster.
"I drew a lot [from the World Championship], and playing against some of the best NHL players in the world," Matthews told TSN. "There were some pretty high-quality players so I think it definitely challenged me to elevate my game, and it was pretty fun to be a part of."
Worlds: Top prospects Matthews, Laine made impact
Projected first two picks of 2016 NHL Draft showed they could play with NHL-caliber competition
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