Former coach identifies an exciting NHL comparable for Leafs winger Matthew Knies

The jury is still out on whether or not the Leafs will be a better team on the ice this season, but we do know that they'll look a lot different after the departures of several key names, including deadline adds Luke Schenn, Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari, as well as more long-term fixtures like Justin Holl and Alexander Kerfoot.

The Leafs brought in the likes of Ryan Reaves, John Klingberg, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi this summer, via free agency, and aside from Klingberg, all of the forwards bring similar aspects to the Leafs, in that they'll be tough to play against. Reaves, with his physicality and boisterous presence, Bertuzzi with his feistiness and ferocity and Domi with his energy, playmaking ability and short fuse.

The Leafs also have a number of younger players coming up from the Marlies in Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann, who should all challenge for roster spots this season. Then there's Matthew Knies, the big power forward coming out of the NCAA, who impressed with the Leafs at the end of last season and in the playoffs before suffering a concussion.

In terms of where they all fit, former NHL coach and current analyst Bruce Boudreau joined Leafs Morning Take and chatted with host Nick Alberga this morning about where Domi, in specific, might fit in. Boudreau believes that while many have Domi penciled in on the 2nd line LW, he is likely a much better 3rd line option for the team, given where his career numbers stand.

In his breakdown of the Leafs' lineup, Boudreau also touched on Matthew Knies and drew a very interesting NHL comparison for Knies, which should excite Leafs Nation, if Knies can follow a similar trajectory.

In his first stint in the NHL, Boldy tallied 15 goals and 39 points in 47 game, good for a .83 points-per-game pace, or 68 points over an 82-game span. Similarly, in his first full season last year, Boldy racked up 63 points in 81 games, which breaks down to a .78 points-per-game pace. He also racked up 255 shots on goal, 39 penalty minutes, 65 hits and 51 takeaways. If Knies can produce at a similar rate in his rookie season in the NHL, we may be looking at a challenger for the Calder Trophy this season, if Connor Bedard struggles in his first year in Chicago, of course.

If Boudreau is correct about Domi being a better 3rd liner in Toronto, we could end up seeing the forward groups look something like this next season, if no additional moves are made up front, of course:

Bertuzzi-Matthews-MarnerKnies-Tavares-NylanderDomi-Kampf-JarnkrokLafferty-Holmberg-ReavesExtra: McMann

If Knies does receive consistent 2nd line minutes with some additional power play time this season, it's not unrealistic to think that he does stand a chance of producing at a similar rate to what Boldy did in Minnesota last season.

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