Draft Retrospective: Matthew Tkachuk was always a play-driver

Today, Matthew Tkachuk is the NHL’s premier power forward, but that didn't seem like a guarantee back in 2016. 

At the time, Tkachuk was the lowest-scoring player on his line featuring 121-point Christian Dvorak and 116-point Mitchell Marner. Questions about his play-driving ability swirled, and – given his skating ability – there were doubts he could become one.

Fast forward seven years, and there isn’t any doubt that Tkachuk’s a driving force, with back-to-back 40-goal, 100-point seasons. 

That shouldn’t have been a surprise. 

Tkachuk was a play-driver, even back in 2015-16, albeit in a different way than most. He was seen as a throwback at the time, but really, he was built for the future. 

Let’s step into the time machine.