Matthew Knies has been a force to be reckoned with since Auston Matthews returned from injury to centre the top line of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Knies racked up a hat trick plus two assists in Matthews’ first game back (a 6-4 win over Boston) and has continued his strong play since.
Prior to his recent breakout, Knies was clearly struggling to make an impact, and even before Matthews got hurt, his play was very inconsistent. In the 14 games prior to the Boston victory, Knies failed to score at all, and contributed only three assists (all stats per naturalstattrick.com). Although the Toronto Maple Leafs went 8-6 in those games, their record could have been better had Knies been running on all cylinders.
Matthew Knies is 22 years old, and playing in only his second full NHL season. Like most young players, confidence plays a big part in his success. When things are going well, he has more energy, plays more aggressively, doesn’t always defer to his more seasoned linemates, and isn’t afraid to use his high skill level to try something fancy.
Conversely, when the bounces aren’t going his way, Knies can show his frustration, lose his focus, take unnecessary penalties, etc. It takes years to develop the ability to shrug off a slump and simply keep doing the little things that will eventually lead to success. We’re seeing the same ups and downs with Knies’ Maple Leaf teammate Nick Robertson.
What’s The Point of Moving Knies Down The Toronto Maple Leafs Lineup?
There have been calls from fans and pundits to take Knies off the top line at various times this season, but mostly whenever he goes without standing out for more than a couple of games.
This would be a terrible idea. Demoting a player has to have a positive intended benefit, or there’s no sense in doing it in the first place. Who would benefit? Not the top line. Not Knies himself. Not the team overall.
First of all, there is nobody else on the roster that possesses the three attributes needed to complement Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner – speed, skill, and most importantly, the ability to get the puck and keep it along the boards. Bobby McMann is probably the next best option, but Knies has better hands and is more creative with the puck.
Second, Knies would not likely benefit from playing lower down in the lineup. Players get better by playing with and against other top players. More time on a line with Max Domi, David Kampf or Connor Dewar isn’t a recipe for Knies’ long-term growth. The Toronto Maple Leafs will get the most out of Knies by giving him as many reps with Matthews and Marner as possible.
Finally, it makes sense to utilize every player’s talents in roles they are most suited for. Despite the inconsistency Matthew Knies shows at times (which is understandable given his youth and inexperience), it makes the most sense to simply ride out the less productive stretches and let him develop the huge potential he’s already shown. He clearly has top line skills. Let him learn by playing with top line players.