Matthew Knies already being written off after a lackluster showing at the WJC tourney
It's been less than 12 hours since USA was eliminated from the World Juniors by Czechia and already, Matthew Knies has gone from "can't miss prospect" to "bust" by some hockey fans, including some of those within the Leafs' own fanbase.
A second round pick in the 2021 draft, Knies burst onto the scene last year during his season with the University of Minnesota, leading the team to a Frozen Four appearance where he registered 33 points in 33 games. He also suited up for USA at the Olympics registering 2 points in 4 games. At 6'3 and 210 pounds, Knies is the type of power forward the Leafs desperately need in their lineup. Not only is he a physical presence, but he has the skill and hockey IQ to be dominant.
It's honestly no surprise that people are taking a 5-game sample size from a summer World Junior tournament as an opportunity to jump to conclusions about a very good prospect, because the Leafs just can't have nice things without someone trying to make stats fit their opinion.
Was Knies outstanding during the WJC tournament? No. Did he put up a lot of points like he was projected to? No. At the same time though, he was physical, engaged in battles all over the ice and was able to create scoring chances. The other factor for Knies' subpar production is the style of play that Team USA was playing. Knies was used as a net front presence for the most part and in order for him to put the puck in the net, he was dependent on his line mates to get shots through, which they had a difficult time doing.
While it was an underwhelming performance point-wise for Knies, it's not a step backwards by any means. Typically the summer is the time for players to develop their skill sets and add any muscle they feel they need and Knies hasn't had much of an opportunity to focus on his training the last 2 months. He went from Leaf development camp directly to the USA selection camp and then to the tournament. Knies himself recognized that he needs more intensity, saying that he was surprised by how intense the Leafs development camp was. He recognizes he has work to do and with the States' tournament over, he now has a chance to take a short break before getting back to work with the University of Minnesota before their season starts.
