Auston Matthews Officially In The Conversation For Selke Award With New Role

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Dawson Mckenzie
September 20, 2023 (1:44 PM)

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Auston Matthews will be in the conversation for the Selke this year if he maintains his new position that Keefe is trying him out in at camp this year.

Auston Matthews to be Tried Out on Penalty Kill

In a recent media day interview, Sheldon Keefe revealed that Auston Matthews will get some time on the Penalty Kill this training camp, in order to fill some of the minutes left by the departure of other players this offseason.

Sheldon Keefe says Auston Matthews will get some time on the PK during the pre-season but suspects other players will get that opportunity to get that as well. They have minutes to fill with the departure of other players.

Keefe has full faith in Matthews being able to contribute to the penalty kill, complimenting him on his all-around skill. The only thing that remains is to see how it impacts Matthews' ability to contribute elsewhere on the ice.

Keefe says Auston Matthews will get a taste of penalty kill time during the preseason.

"When it comes to a player of Auston's caliber, it's not a question of CAN he do it. It's a matter of how it would affect the team"

Matthews Has Yet To Be Considered for the Selke But Now Might

Matthews is known for his ability to score and his offensive prowess. However, what flies under the radar is his defensive capabilities. Matthews was a plus-13 last season. Matthews is consistently top of the list for takeaways, and when you add in his ability to block shots and take faceoffs, his defensive skill comes to light. Some have even called for him to be considered for the Selke a few years ago.

Don Granato says Auston Matthews should be in the Selke conversation.

If he can get some significant minutes on the penalty kill this year, Matthews will surely be in the conversation for the Selke by the end of the year.