Matthew Knies reveals the exact type of a player he wants to be for the Maple Leafs
When the Toronto Maple Leafs had drafted Matthew Knies with the 57th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, not much was known by the broader hockey community about the USHL product, other than the fact that he was not what the Leafs had become accustomed to drafting.
Knies was not a small-ish, speedy, skilled forward or a smallish, mobile defenseman. At 6'3, 210 lbs, he was already built like an NHLer at 18 years of age and played power forward game. It was certainly a welcome change and provided the Leafs with something that they didn't necessarily have. I don't know if anyone had anticipated just how good he would be this quickly.
Knies played two seasons in the NCAA before finally making the jump to the NHL this past April. Much to everyone's surprise, not could he hang - he was an effective player almost straight away.
A part of why Knies has been able to transition so effectively is the brand of hockey that he plays. The things that he does well tend to translate very well to the NHL game. Prior to coming over to the NHL, Knies had done a tremendous amount of work to build skills that allow him to work effectively in tight spaces, without a ton of room. What we've seen from him during his limited time in the league has been his affinity for going into tough spots on the ice and coming out with the puck or entering those spaces with the puck and being able to protect it very well.
Sheldon Keefe has leaned on Matthew Knies a great deal this pre-season so far, not only trusting him in all 3 zones, but also on both special teams. Regardless of the assignment, Knies has done a satisfactory job, and in some cases, he has even excelled. Knies was asked about his effectiveness on the penalty kill this morning. His response was music to the ears of just about every coach on the planet.
You have to admire Knies' attitude. For such a young, highly-touted player, he hasn't allowed anything to go to his head. He has displayed excellent work ethic and has embraced all of the toughest assignments, bringing a bit of an old-school hockey flavour to the table in Toronto. If the Leafs are getting a power forward who can play well in all 3 zones, kill penalties and contribute on the power play, they're essentially getting another star player to compliment their already impressive core. How can any Leafs fan not be excited about that?
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 1 | 429 ANSWERS Matthew Knies reveals the exact type of a player he wants to be for the Maple Leafs Do you believe that Matthew Knies can be an all-situations, total package player in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 399 | 93 % |
| No | 30 | 7 % |
| List of polls | ||
