Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthew Knies Plays Well In NHL Debut

It may have only been one game but it’s easy to see why Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies has become the team’s top prospect.

It was only a few months ago that many of us hoped that the 2022-23 season would be a breakout campaign for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson. We all had hopes that Matthew Knies could eventually join the team as well, but Robertson was still considered, to most, the team’s best up-and-coming player.

However, that’s changed dramatically since October because Robertson was yet again injured for a significant portion of this season. Since being drafted, Robertson has suffered through a broken leg, a concussion, a groin problem, a knee injury and, most recently, a shoulder issue that needed season ending surgery.

Robertson had so much hope, but due to injuries and the pandemic, has played in under 70 games (NHL regular season, playoffs, and AHL combined) since being drafted in the three seasons since he was drafted.

His size and injury history, and the lack of games played during an important developmental period raises serious doubts about his viability as a future NHL player.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Knies Should Make an Impact Immediately

Knies is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and showed during his first NHL game that he’s strong on the puck. He went toe-to-toe with Marc Staal behind the net and was a tough player to defend. It was his first game, so he’s going to make mistakes, but he didn’t look lost, which is a huge win.

Knies’ size is going to benefit him tremendously and it’s going to help his chances of staying in the line-up every night and making an impact.

We’ve yet to see his world-class shot on display but hopefully he gets more ice-time with John Tavares and William Nylander to show it off.

Last night, Knies played with Kerfoot and Acciari, and like the entire team, outside the top line, Justin Holl and TJ Brodie, he was hammered by the desperate Florida Panthers.

It’s hard to judge a rookie by his stats in a single game where his team has no reason to care about the outcome, and so while the Leafs didn’t do great while Knies was on the ice, they didn’t do so great when Tavares, Nylander or McCabe were on the ice either.

Knies failed to register a shot, but he looked good battling behind the net, and he made a pretty good effort to to try and get a shot off at another time.  He was on the second PP unit, which, unfortunately, only got one opportunity all night.  (naturalstattrick.com).

Time will tell but his first game was very positive and Knies may end up being a helpful player for the Toronto Maple Leafs sooner than later.