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Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 Draft Review: One Year Later

By Gordon Munro

WORCESTER, MA - MARCH 25: Matthew Knies #89 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers skates against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Northeast Regional game at the DCU Center on March 25, 2022 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Golden Gophers won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
WORCESTER, MA - MARCH 25: Matthew Knies #89 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers skates against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Northeast Regional game at the DCU Center on March 25, 2022 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Golden Gophers won 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
WORCESTER, MA – MARCH 25: Matthew Knies #89 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers skates against the M (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /

Matthew Knies

Pos: LW

Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)

Size: 6’3 205 lbs

After being drafted in the second round, I did some digging into Knies. Looking at the previous two seasons, his numbers didn’t jump off the page. He amassed 45 points in 44 games in his DY-1 and 42 points in 44 games in his DY. A slight regression in points, something you don’t really like to see but, after reading that he had come down with Covid-19 part way through his draft year, I was willing to look past it.

This year, he blew away any doubts. In 33 games with the University of Minnesota, Knies scored 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points. This put him fifth in points per-game in the NCAA among 2021 draft picks. Even more impressive, the only players ahead of him were: Matty Beniers, Kent Johnson, Matthew Coronato, and Josh Doan. Three of those players were top-fifteen picks and the other, Doan, was a second rounder picked 20 picks ahead of Knies.

He’s a hitting machine, who loves to use his large frame (6-3, 205lbs) to dominate the opposition. He’s a prototypical power forward type player with some pretty high-end skill. If he can continue to progress, he might even be able to wear a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater when his college season is over next year.

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