BARRIE

Leafs coach Babcock tells young players to 'work hard' and 'let skill come out'

Lisa Wallace The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, October 12, 2016 6:20PM EDT

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) draws a holding penalty against Montreal Canadiens' Mikhail Sergachev (22) during second period of NHL hockey pre-season action in Toronto on Sunday, October 2, 2016. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Text:

OTTAWA -- Mike Babcock has a simple message for Auston Matthews -- just play.

Matthews, the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, was set to make his highly awaited NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday against Ottawa.

"It's going to be exciting and I'm anxious to get going," said Matthews before the game, standing among a throng of microphones.

The 19-year-old is well aware of the hype and expectations that come with being the first overall pick, not to mention the pressure that comes with playing in Toronto.

"You can't really think about that too much and just go out there and play hockey," he said. "For me I just want to do what I can and play my game to help this team win and that's the most important thing."

Matthews is the cornerstone of a young Leafs team also featuring rookies William Nylander and Mitch Marner. Babcock's message to his young charges was simple.

"Just be good players," said Babcock. "Take care of the puck, real work hard and be good without it and let your skill come out."

The Senators have heard the hype about Matthews and acknowledge he'll be a presence on the ice.

"He's like any other top player in the league, top skilled guy, you've got to be aware of him when on they're on the ice," said Ottawa defenceman and former Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. "Biggest thing is they like time, they like space so you've got to take that away from them.

"He's obviously a real good talent, he's got a skill set that not a lot of guys have so we have to be aware of him on the ice, much like any other top guys in the league."

The Senators, meanwhile, are adopting a new philosophy under Guy Boucher, who is coaching in the NHL for the first time since 2013.

"I definitely think we are where we want to be at as of right now, but I still think there's going to be growing pains with certain things," said Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson. "It's nothing that we're not aware of and there's going to be times when there's a little bit of confusion maybe but that's the way it's going to be here early in the year here. We just have to make sure we're prepared and everybody's ready to play."