Matthew Knies is no stranger to Olympic hockey but despite that, he will face some tough competition for a roster spot on Team USA's final team. But, he can bring something more than any one of his peers.
All of the 44 players that Team USA decided to bring to their Olympic orientation camp were present and participating earlier this week, with both Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies seen together. The Toronto Maple Leafs teammates are equals when it comes to just having their names written down on this camp roster, but are at opposite ends when it comes to the likelihood of being in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
If there is anything more than a lock, Matthews is that for Team USA. While Knies, despite representing his country at the 2022 Winter Olympics already, is projected to be on the outside looking in when the final decision is made on who will be crossing the Atlantic for the best-on-best tournament.
But, when comparing the wingers who are in Knies's tier of likelihood to make the final cut, there is something that the Maple Leafs winger can do better than any one of them.
Knies' physicality can put him above the rest
When looking at the full list of the 44 players USA Hockey brought to this camp, the tiers of wingers (or centres that can play on the wing comfortably) start to separate.
Let's first look at the locks: Jason Robertson, Brady Tkachuk, Kyle Connor, Matt Boldy, Dylan Larkin, J.T. Miller, and Jake Guentzel feel like prime candidates to just waltz into a spot on the wing. That leaves approximately two available spots -- the final regular lineup player and an extra. Then you get into the territory of the old veterans like Patrick Kane and Chris Kreider who are just one bad tweak of a knee away from missing the entire tournament -- and who knows if they will even be good enough in this upcoming season to deserve a spot on an Olympic roster.
So, then there's the bunch. The real competition for Knies comes down to Tage Thompson, Cole Caufield, Shane Pinto, Conor Garland, Clayton Keller, Alex Tuch, and Frank Nazar -- all of those players are trying to get the exact same thing and there can only be so many.
But, when looking at that list, it's really only Tuch that even comes close to being able to do what Knies can do. The 6-foot-3 winger's physicality is unmatched when it comes down to Caufield, Keller, Pinto, Garland, or Nazar. And even Tage Thompson isn't known as the most physical player despite being a giant.
If there is anything that Knies can stand on and be the reason why he makes that final roster is being able to provide that right amount of physicality.
Yes, the Olympics are not going to have the same rough-and-tumble attitude as the 4 Nations Face-Off did earlier this year -- but Knies can tow that line almost perfectly. With just 43 penalty minutes this past season, he's not careless when it comes to providing that physical edge -- it's more about puck protection and making his own lane to the net, than being an enforcer on the ice.
That is what can win an Olympic Games and maybe, when the USA Hockey staff are looking at the diminutive Cole Caufield next to Knies, they will go with the Maple Leaf because of it.