2. Matthew Knies
Age: 20 (in October)
Height/Weight: 6’3 210 LBS
Position: LW
Shoots: Left
Draft: 2nd Round. 57th overall, 2021
A 6’3 skilled forward who can dangle, shoot and who thinks the game as well as any other player on this list? Who, at least potentially, could use his size and determination to become a power-forward, or, since he’s such a good passer, a hybrid-type player who can hit and score and drive the net, while also setting up his teammates?
Sign me up.
The reason Matthews Knies was available in the 2nd round is because of his skating. If he was a smooth skating speedster, he probably would have been a top ten pick.
He was well on his way to being a first rounder anyways, but in his draft year, his second with the Tri City Storm of the USHL, he scored three less points playing the same amount of games, but with a bigger role.
Suddenly you have a player who is maybe just big, and taking advantage of not being a focal point in the lineup. He dropped all the way to 57th were the Leafs were only too happy to take advantage.
He is now considered their top prospect by most people. Myself, I prefer Nick Robertson, but you could toss coin – neither is a blue chipper, and either one of them, both of them, or neither of them could become stars. I think people favor Knies because of his size, but Robertson is the better player, he just gets docked for being small.
People complain about Knies’ defense, or say he hurts himself by trying to be too creative, but honestly, if you’re saying those things about a prospect, it’s probably because he isn’t going to get taken in the top five of the draft.
Very few prospects are good at defense. These guys have so much natural talent and have always been the best wherever they go, that most of them haven’t had to focus on that too much.
That’s what the Marlies are for. You can’t learn creativity or intelligence. But if you are creative and intelligent, and you have the talent to score in the NHL, learning defense is fairly easy.
Not quite a power-forward, not quite a finesse player, Knies embodies everything the Leafs look for: intelligence, determination/competitiveness, and talent. Expect him to make his NHL debut later this season, after the trade deadline, and expect him in the NHL permanently some time next season.