Should The Toronto Maple Leafs Use a Kid Line Next Season?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have the potential to ice a highly skilled kid line next season.
Matthew Knies will enter his sophomore season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan could begin their NHL rookie seasons.
Together, the three of them could become one of the best kid lines in the NHL.
All three players are highly skilled, but each brings a different element to the line.
Should The Toronto Maple Leafs Use a Kid Line Next Season?
The Toronto Maple Leafs got to see how Matthew Knies handled his first full season in the NHL, and he did not disappoint. Knies registered 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 80 games.
He averaged 13:41 minutes of ice time and spent some time playing in the Leafs top six. Knies has the making of a power forward, as shown by his 169 hits and his 38 takeaways compared to 29 giveaways. (Knies stats from hockey-reference.com)
Fraser Minten got a small taste of the NHL this season with four games at the start of the 2023-24 season. He averaged 11:26 minutes of ice time but failed to register a point.
He would be the center for the kid line, with Knies on his left and Cowan on his right. Winning faceoffs will be the area where Minten needs to improve, and it will come with repetition. In the WHL this season, Minten registered 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 43 games split between the Saskatoon Blades and Kamloops Blazers. (Minten and Cowan stats from eliteprospects.com)
Easton Cowan has turned a lot of heads this season and could be a huge steal for the Leafs as the 28th overall pick in last year's draft.
Cowan registered 34 goals and 62 assists for 96 points in 54 games for the London Knights of the OHL. Cowan won the Red Tilson trophy for being the OHL's most outstanding player. He also helped the Knights win the OHL championship (J. Ross Robertson Cup) and was awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for playoff MVP. Cowan and the London Knights are now trying to win the Memorial Cup.
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These three young players are the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that future could start next season. They have all the makings of a fantastic line if they're able to play well together. Having a kid line with Knies, Minten, and Cowan could be one of the best third lines in the NHL.