What the Toronto Maple Leafs Have in Matthew Knies

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Matthew Knies has the potential to make an impact for the Toronto Maple Leafs, possibly as soon as this year.

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t drafted high for several years now, often trading their top picks, so it’s reasonable to ask if they have any prospects who can graduate to the NHL level.

Personally, I only see one prospect who I feel can make the jump to the Leafs roster right now, and that prospect is Matthew Knies.

Yes, I am aware that he is unsigned at the moment, but the Leafs need a player like him.

They currently have Kyle Clifford and Wayne Simmonds who would be referred to as “power forward”, but they are usually liabilities on the ice, whether it be discipline or defensively.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs look for their “power forward for the future”, I feel like Knies is their only shot from their current farm system at the moment.

Knies comes with a lot of upside, with size and speed, his puck protection skills, hands, and hand-eye.

He seems to be capable of making moves based on split-second decision making AND can force some chances with his “straight-line” approach to offense more often than not. He will need to work on a few things, but every young player has to work on something.

Apr 7, 2022; Boston, MA, USA; Minnesota forward Matthew Knies (89) . Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Matthew Knies Upside for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Knies looks to be capable of driving the play at the NCAA level, making moves and decisions on the fly when needed.

He can make split-second decisions in order to get the puck in a better position for the offense, and possesses underrated puck handling and creating his own space.

He is not a small guy at 6’3″ and a reported 205 lbs, which would work wonders if he learns how to screen the goaltender for deflection plays (watch Joe Pavelski’s work in front of the goalie. Amazing stuff).

I feel like Knies could be that guy who can score the dirty goals on the powerplay as well. His size gives him, again, a real advantage when it comes to net battles.

This is only possible due to how good his stick handling and hand-eye looks to be along with his size. Think about what Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews could do on the PP with someone like that.

He is not a slow guy, and has the makings of a shutdown forward even if he doesn’t end up scoring a ton in the NHL. He uses his body to stop the rush but he doesn’t throw bodychecks. Instead, he uses his legs to stop his man from getting past him. He seems to have an active stick and efficient body placement rather than smash someone’s head in. While I do like a guy who can do both, sometimes you have to settle for one or the other.

Knies uses his size to his advantage, using his lower body to protect the puck in the o-zone. He also relies heavily on his stick both offensively and defensively. He looks to have a skillset more of a third-line or fourth-line forward at the moment, but anything can happen.

With this said… He does not come without cons.

Apr 7, 2022; Boston, MA, USA; Minnesota forward Matthew Knies (89) scores on Minnesota State goaltender Dryden McKay (29) during the first period of the 2022 Frozen Four college ice hockey national semifinals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Cons and Downside

Matthew Knies has a lot of tools to his game the Maple Leafs can benefit from, but this does not come without cons.

The main con looks to be his lack of accuracy in his shot, but this is something that he could fix. As I watch him play, I can see that he does have the puck handling and hand-eye needed to make the moves he does to find open ice. However, his shot could be placed differently. He doesn’t finish as many chances as he could have due to this, but I’m not too worried about it.

He could also work a bit on his offensive awareness which, again, I feel like will improve over time. He does create space, but sometimes his passes are messy and seem forced.

He doesn’t seem to check over his shoulder when he is behind the net which leads to missed SOG and chances.

With more patience and awareness, which, again, usually comes with time, I am sure that this will not be an issue. He needs to work on his offensive awareness and decision making, but his overall offensive skillset is quite good.

Another thing would be his lack of desire to lay the body. Yes, I am aware that his forte is stick checking and positioning (which I pointed out), this may not work out as well in the NHL.

His stick checking may easily be countered by players such as Connor McDavid and Patrick Kane. His use of the lower body to separate player from puck may be easily overpowered by players like Sidney Crosby, or bigger players like Leon Draisaitl and Jamie Benn.

This style of defense may also cause multiple hooking and tripping penalties. This is something he will have to focus on if his offensive skillset does not improve.

Apr 7, 2022; Boston, MA, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Matthew Knies (89) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Minnesota State Mavericks during the first period of the 2022 Frozen Four college ice hockey national semifinals at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports /

Conclusion

Matthew Knies is an interesting talent. He has speed with snippets of a potential power forward who can score goals as well as the size to smash someone into the boards.

He has great offensive potential, and his defense skillset is one that, with more practice, will be very beneficial as a two-way forward. If he works on his accuracy, finish, and awareness, he looks to be a force to be reckoned with.

However, his lack of physicality raises some red flags.

As he is not elite in any aspect of his game, I do not know how he will transition into the NHL. He has some questionable decision making, and seems to be quite rushed when it comes to offense as he doesn’t seem to be someone who can run a cycle play. He is likely more of a bottom-six guy who wants to crash the net with a “straight-line” style of play.

But he has upside, which is why the Toronto Maple Leafs picked him. A sure-fire top six talent likely wouldn’t have fallen to where Knies was drafted, but his upside is potentially huge.

Yes, I do think that Matthew Knies should be signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Players with his skillset and size do not come around very often. I feel like his playstyle can be tweaked to be effective in the NHL, and his cons can be worked on. (Stats: eliteprospects.com).

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Because of that, I feel like Knies would be a better option than Clifford or Simmonds next season or in the future. Kyle Dubas has to sign Knies before he becomes the next potential Adam Fox: a prospect-turned-star.

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