This past season was the coming out year for Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies. After putting together a solid rookie campaign in 2023-24 in which he finished with 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 80 games played, Knies quickly evolved and matured into the power forward that many envisioned him to be. Just that he wasn’t expected to be this good this early.
At just 22 years of age, the talented left winger registered a stellar 29-goal, 29-assist sophomore season with the Maple Leafs, putting him just behind the core four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares in team scoring. More significantly, Knies got better as the season went, recording 10 multi-point games from January 2025 and onwards, including a five-point bonanza against the Boston Bruins on January 4.
2024-25 Maple Leafs Player Grades: Matthew Knies the “next one” for the Leafs
If taking a further look at some of his advanced stats, Knies had a 52.76% expected-goals rate, in addition to a 53% scoring chances rate and a stellar 57.24% high danger scoring chance rate during 5-on-5 situations during the regular season. To show how important he was for the Leafs’ top line, both Matthews and Marner actually had lower CF% when they played without Knies, with Marner even dipping below 50%, tilting the ice in the opposition’s favour.
More importantly, Knies went from being just a line supporter at even strength to a strong force to be reckoned with on special teams as well by the end of the year. He could also play the physical game as well, dishing out more than two hits a game to wear down his opponents. To top it off, he had the knack to make dazzling plays like this one as well.
MATTHEW. KNIES.@Rogers | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/NFJ7LBEmBg
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 27, 2025
But it wasn’t just the numbers that stood out for Knies. It was the way his game matured and how he gradually became a dominant force on the ice. In fact, despite recording only five goals and two assists for seven points in 13 games during this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Knies was the most noticeable and hardest-working player on the ice. The smart plays that he made, along with his tenacity and will to win made him the perfect playoff performer for the Leafs.
As a result, Knies has all of a sudden elevated his value with the club immensely, as he is practically their next budding star in the making. It also shows how much he means to the Leafs right now and the future by the fact that management has taken precedent in getting a contract done with Knies this offseason rather than the likes of Tavares and Marner.
Overall, Knies had performed beyond expectations in 2024-25 and had made himself an indispensable asset for the Leafs in the process. Therefore, he deserves a well-earned A for his convincing, breakout season this past year. Why Knies didn’t get an A+? That’s because there’s still room for him to get even better and enter the level of elite in the coming seasons.