Sheldon Keefe reveals what he thinks of Matthew Knies' body of work so far in Leafs' training camp
Following a heart-breaking end to his college career, losing the NCAA Championship two years in a row, Matthew Knies joined the Leafs for their final three regular season games and their post-season run. While he didn't rack up a lot of points, he certainly showed Leaf fans and management what he is capable of and the type of player he can be before being injured against Florida.
After a summer of training without injury, the Leafs sent Knies to play in the Traverse City rookie tournament before having him join the team for his first official NHL training camp. Since arriving at camp, Knies has found himself in the top-six consistently and on special teams during the pre-season. Knies has said he wants to be able to play in all situations and has shown he can do that so far, including scoring a shorthanded goal last night.
Following the Leafs' 2-1 win over Montreal on Friday, Sheldon Keefe was asked how he felt about Knies' body of work during training camp so far. The Leafs' bench boss was very complementary of his young star forward.
"He has just picked up where he left off in the playoffs. He stepped in out of college last season at the hardest time of the year and showed he can not just play but help and contribute. He has just picked up where he left off," said Keefe.
"I am happy he has just picked up and is working. Some of the areas that I thought were issues for him � in particular, on the wall in our own zone and stuff like that � he has improved upon. He shows a real capacity to learn and apply lessons. He has been great. I was happy to see him finally shoot the puck tonight, too. He has done everything but that. I think getting one in will encourage him to shoot even more."
Clearly, training with the likes of Auston Matthews, who is known for working on the little things, has helped Knies come into camp better prepared - and Keefe has taken notice. The former second-round pick is a long-shot to win the Calder Trophy this season, but he will provide the Leafs with the power forward they have been longing for, and one that can play in all situations.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 30 | 309 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe reveals what he thinks of Matthew Knies' body of work so far in Leafs' training camp Has Matthew Knies done enough in training camp to earn a look in the top-6 to begin the season? | ||
| Yes, absolutely | 243 | 78.6 % |
| No, but he's been good | 34 | 11 % |
| He's shown a lot, but I'd still start him on 3LW | 32 | 10.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
