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Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 NHL Entry Draft Update

By Gordon Munro

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: (l-r) Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan of the Toronto Maple Leafs handle the draft table during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: (l-r) Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan of the Toronto Maple Leafs handle the draft table during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs used their second round pick to select Tri-City Storm forward Matthew Knies (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Toronto Maple Leafs on the Right Track

Rasmus Sandin, who Dubas drafted in 2018 after trading back from the 25th spot to the 29th spot and picking up an extra third round pick along the way, has been nothing short of fantastic. At only 21 years of age, he’s blossomed quite well, putting up some gaudy underlying numbers. So far, he doesn’t seem to be alone in the Leafs system but only time will tell.

Fast forward to the 2021 NHL draft, after moving their first and fourth round picks at the trade deadline, the Leafs were left with only three total draft picks, all on day two. Even though I held out hope until the very end that they’d make a move to add one or two additional picks, they didn’t. The Leafs doubled-down on their disastrous deadline moves and only selected three players; Matthew Knies, Ty Voit, and Vyacheslav Peksa.

Despite my disappointment, Leafs brass seems to be well on their way to proving themselves right, once again. The results for the three players selected have been nothing short of spectacular, even the most optimistic Leafs fan wouldn’t have predicted all three to be playing so well.

Matthew Knies

LW

6’3 205lbs

University of Minnesota (NCAA)

Matthew Knies was selected in the second round, 57th overall at the 2021 NHL draft. The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers’ Freshman has impressed so well, that he was selected to represent the USA at the upcoming 2022 Olympics. He was one of only 13 NCAA prospects to have made the cut – Including another Leafs prospect Nick Abruzzese.

So far, in 21 games played this season, Knies has scored 8 goals and added 13 assists for 21 points. This is good for second on the Gophers and eighth in U-20 scoring for the entire NCAA. Pretty good considering he is sandwiched between two top five picks in Luke Hughes and Jake Sanderson on the list.

On top of his impressive play and Olympic selection, Knies was also selected to the USA World Junior squad last month, registering one goal in the lone American game before the tournament was cancelled. Hopefully he’s able to keep a similar scoring pace when he goes to the Olympics next month.

It will be interesting to see what the Toronto Maple Leafs plan to do with Knies. It’s likely he goes back to the NCAA for one more year next year but it wouldn’t be surprising if he signs an entry-level contract after this year and turns pro for the 2022-23 campaign. Even though he’ll likely still play in the AHL if he does, it would be nice to see the Leafs development staff get their hands on him. However, if he does go back for another year of NCAA hockey, Knies would undoubtedly be an early favourite for a potential Hobey Baker award nomination.

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