Matthew Knies: The Toronto Maple Leafs Power Forward of the Future

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to finally advance past the first round for the first time since the 2003-04 season and will need all their players to chip in to make that a reality.

Due to a suspension for  Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting, Matthew Knies found himself making his playoff debut in game 2 of their series against the Lightning.

Knies has been receiving a lot of hype throughout this season as fans and reporters wondered if he would be traded or if he’d sign with the Leafs or opt to wait, but ultimately the speculation ended when he signed with the Leafs and joined them for the last 3 games of the regular season.

Knies 4th game in the NHL marked his NHL debut as previously discussed, but it didn’t look like he’d only been in the NHL for 4 games as he drove play paired with O’Reilly and was a positive factor for the Leafs, coming out with a 5v5 xGF% of  85%!!!! according to naturalstattrick.

Sure he took an early penalty that he shouldn’t have, but if you are winning almost 90% of your minutes, it’s only a matter of time before the goals start to follow. Knies has looked good and while the numbers will likely not be quite as high as his first game, his style of play helps to drive possession and momentum in the right direction, which is necessary for the playoffs.

Matthew Knies: The Power Forward the Toronto Maple Leafs Have Been Missing

Looking at Knies style of play, he is often described as a “power forward”, which can be seen by his play along the boards and the way he can drive to the middle of the ice.

As Knies gets used to playing more NHL minutes he will get stronger on his feet and use his body more, but it begs the question… Will Knies be the best power forward the Leafs have had since Gary Roberts?

Roberts played for the Leafs for four seasons spanning from the 2000-01 season to the 2003-04 season. Yes, you heard that right, the last time the Leafs had a solid “star” power forward was the same season the Leafs last won a playoff round.

Now I think there are many different reasons why the Leafs haven’t made it past the first round and not having a solid power forward isn’t the reason the Leafs haven’t made it past the first round, but it shows the importance of the style of play that often works in the playoffs.

Yes, playoffs are more physical, but typically just getting a player who will throw the body isn’t the answer. Physicality is important in the playoffs, but so is possession and that’s something the Leafs have built their team around. What a power forward like Knies brings to the table checks both those boxes, as power forwards are typically more physical but still drive possession in their team’s favour.

I know I’m pumping Knies tires here, and he’s still got many games to go, he’s been a promising bright spot for the Leafs unlike other “power forwards” that have been drafted over the years (sorry Tyler Biggs) and actually has shown signs of being a solid power forward. Knies has the potential to be the Leafs power forward of the future and the best one since Roberts, and the best one the Leafs have drafted themselves since Wendel Clark.