I?ve said a lot of players I?d compare him to. He?s got elements of many players. Remember, he?s 18 years old. I had Anze Kopitar at 19, I had Jamie Benn at 19, and I had Joe Sakic as a 21 year old. I think Auston has got a lot of the qualities of those guys. At the same age, he looks very, very similar to Anze Kopitar with the way he drives the net, the way he protects the puck in offensive areas. He?s better offensively than Anze. He?s a shooter like Joe Sakic. His shot is similar to Jamie Benn?s. They shoot it with a lot of power, they stay on pucks the same way. Obviously, what you hope is that he adds an element of physicality to his game like Jamie Benn. You hope that he learns the defensive game the way that Anze Kopitar learned the defensive game. The hope is that the leadership that he has one day makes him like a shooting center that played well no matter who he played with and made people better, like Joe Sakic. I think Auston has that type of potential. He?s going to be an impact player right away; he?ll play in the top six right away, and he?ll have to figure it out as the year goes on. He?s a really good talent. He?s a kid that?s got his feet firmly planted on the ground. He?s got wonderful parents, great representation ? all the things that you want, plus he?s six foot two. That makes you a pretty attractive package to a prospective team.
