Ask Peter Chiarelli what type of role he envisions Auston Matthews playing in the World Cup of Hockey and the Team North America GM said he doesn’t expect it to be a big one. After all, Matthews is only 18 years old. And he has played zero games in the NHL.
Last season, it took Connor McDavid a month before he figured out the league and felt comfortable. So it’s only fair to expect Matthews will experience a similar learning curve.
“That’s the instinct in my gut,” said Chiarelli.
Then again, Chiarelli has learned not to always trust his gut.