Coach's quote about Matthew Knies should make Leaf fans very happy
Heading into the 2023-24 regular season, there are a lot of storylines to follow but maybe none bigger for the Leafs than top prospect Matthew Knies' rookie season.
The 2nd round pick from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has blown away the organization, his teammates, and has the entire fan base buzzing. In his final collegiate season with the University of Minnesota, Knies scored 21 goals and 42 points in just 40 games and received several top-tier accolades before signing his ELC with the Maple Leafs.
In his 3 regular season NHL games, the youngster recorded an assist, and scored 1 goal and 4 points in 7 post-season appearances before suffering what ended up being a series-ending injury against Florida. All of that culminated in a summer frenzy where the excitement level reached an all-time high with comments from Knies himself, how his teammates felt about him, and now, even his coaches are focused on his incredible work ethic.
During their prospect tournament in Traverse City, Knies was a surprise addition to the festivities and Toronto Marlies head coach, John Gruden, had a lot to say:
"What I liked about Knies, he was first in line and he did every drill at top speed. He didn't cheat at anything. I really admired that,» Gruden said. «(It's good) for a guy like Cowan to follow that, as far as seeing what Knies does."
Even the Maple Leafs' first round pick in this most recent draft, Easton Cowan, was a little starstruck when he saw Knies for the first time:
"A great first day," Cowan said. "I got in (Tuesday) night, had a good first dinner with the boys, got to meet all of them, and a great skate today. But just seeing Matthew Knies, and how big he is Great guy. A great player, too, as you saw out there."
As an NHL-ready prospect, Knies would generally not be invited to tournaments like these, but getting his feet wet before training camp was probably the right call from the organization as he "took control of the practices":
"It gives me a little boost of confidence getting that experience from last year, getting to play with some of the best players," he said. "It's something I didn't take for granted. I want to pass that (experience) along to these younger players. I try to teach them day by day."
Knies stepping in and taking on that leadership role at the prospect tournament really speaks to his level of maturity and his tremendous character. I, like all of you, I'm sure, am looking forward to seeing what he can do in a Leafs jersey in his rookie season.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 15 | 133 ANSWERS Coach's quote about Matthew Knies should make Leaf fans very happy Should Matthew Knies have been drafted in the 1st round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft instead of in the 2nd round? | ||
| Yes | 75 | 56.4 % |
| No | 18 | 13.5 % |
| That was such a hard draft to judge due to COVID | 40 | 30.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
