Has Matthew Knies had a change of heart about joining the Leafs?
This past week, TSN's Darren Dreger had reported that Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Matthew Knies was leaning towards leaving the NCAA and joining the Leafs at the end of his season with the University of Minnesota. However, per Dreger's latest report on Insider Trading, that may not be the case.
Dreger revealed on Tuesday that Knies may in fact be leaning towards returning to the University of Minnesota for the 2022-23 season. The reason for the sudden change of heart may have come after speaking with his family about whether or not it was the right decision to make the jump straight away. As a 19-year-old, the NHL can pose a lot of unique challenges - even when you're 6'3, 210 lbs.
Dreger did suggest that there's still time for Knies to shift back over to the mindset of turning pro at the end of the current NCAA season, once conversations with the Leafs have occurred. At this point, any preliminary discussions that Knies has with the Leafs may nullify his ability to play in the NCAA next season.
Knies has scored 14 goals for the Golden Gophers this season, adding 18 assists for a total of 32 points in 32 games. Not bad for a freshman winger. Sticking around in the NCAA for one more season could help with not only his confidence, but his maturity and his decision making as well.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 5 | 357 ANSWERS Has Matthew Knies had a change of heart about joining the Leafs? Should Matthew Knies go pro and join the Leafs this season? | ||
| Absolutely | 83 | 23.2 % |
| Not a chance | 73 | 20.4 % |
| If there are questions, don't rush him | 201 | 56.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
