Matt Martin can’t help but think of a certain ex-teammate when he considers the manner in which Auston Matthews goes about his business on a daily basis.

“A lot of similarities to J.T.,” Martin said, referring to New York Islanders captain John Tavares.

“They have the same effort and work ethic. With the success Auston is having, he still comes to the rink and wants to get better every day. At 19 years old, that is a pretty impressive trait to have.

“You can already see those leadership qualities coming out of him. He’s not going to be the most vocal guy in the room, but he will walk around and give you a pat on the back when you make a good play. In my case, if I get into a fight, he will give me a little whack.”

Despite the oddity that is the Islanders organization as a whole, Tavares has become a respected player across the league, one who sets an example on every shift.

Matthews is a mere 44 games into a career with the Leafs that is expected to be long and prosperous, yet already has demonstrated he has the proper constitution to be named the next captain of the Leafs.

Martin, whose stall is beside Matthews in the Leafs dressing room at the Air Canada Centre, agreed.

“I would think so,” said Martin, who departed the Islanders to sign with the Leafs last summer. “I’m not going to make those decisions, but he has at his age maybe the best leadership qualities I have seen ... not that J.T. was not an unbelievable leader. John had some bumps in the road early and I’m not saying Auston won’t, but the way he has handled it so far, especially in this market with all the attention he gets, is incredible.

“Sitting beside him, I talk to him a lot. He is well on the way to being a big leader on this team for a long time.”

Teammate James van Riemsdyk concurred.

“Your best players have to be the ones pulling the most rope and he is a guy who has those types of qualities in him, where you can tell he wants to get better, do the things he needs to do to be a great player,” van Riemsdyk said. “We’re really lucky to have him. Those are good things to see out of a guy in his first year.”

POINT SHOTS

The Leafs lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at the ACC despite a highlight-reel goal in the skills competition by Mitch Marner, one that counted after a review. Count van Riemsdyk among those who don’t like the NHL’s points system, as the Leafs fell to 1-6 in shootouts. “I think they need to skew the points a little more,” van Riemsdyk said. “I don’t know. It seems interesting you can win a shootout and get as many points for beating a team in 60 minutes. I don’t think I like that aspect of it. It makes it exciting for the fans, so that part of it is good, it has that entertainment value to it, but you should be rewarded more for winning games in regulation.” ... Before a crowd of 19,544 at the ACC — one that took the time to boo Senators defenceman Dion Phaneuf every so often or cheer his name derisively — Matthews missed a tap-in with an open net in the first period, a miscue that does not happen often ... Also in the opening 20 minutes, Marner passed up a great chance to make a pass that went awry and William Nylander missed on a backhand after deking past Ottawa goalkeeper Mike Condon ... When the Leafs took a 2-1 lead in the third period, it appeared Nazem Kadri had scored his 100th NHL goal and he reacted as such. His short shot, however, was tipped past Condon by Martin.

FROM THE HASH MARKS

With Morgan Rielly’s streak of 193 consecutive games played ending this week, Jake Gardiner takes over as the Leafs’ present ironman. Gardiner has played in 118 games in a row. Rielly, out with a right leg injury, did not take part in the morning skate … Jose Bautista, at the game in a private box with several of his Blue Jays teammates, was interviewed during a TV timeout. Naturally, there were loud cheers when Bautista said the Jays had unfinished business … Leafs head coach Mike Babcock on assistant coach Jim Hiller, who runs the team’s high-octane power play and originally was hired by Babcock back in 2014 to be an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings: “I have always tried to hire different types of people to help you get better and grow. I was impressed by his knowledge and the way he thought offensively. He does not have one thought that would be similar to mine. He likes the offensive side of the puck and that is how he thinks. That is much different than the way I see things in the game and so it has been good for me and it has been good for him too.”