The Leafs have multiple good options available to them with Matthew Knies this season
Heading into what will be Matthew Knies' official rookie season, the expectations are relatively high, thanks to his showing at the end of the 2022-23 campaign and throughout the playoffs before suffering an injury at the hands of Florida's Sam Bennett.
Knies came in as a rookie, fresh out of the NCAA in April, suiting up in 3 games for the Leafs without any full fledged practices under his belt. He joined the Leafs on their road trip to close out the season, so Knies didn't have access to the team's staff back in Toronto until after the season had ended. Still, the rookie sensation looked every bit the part of an NHLer in his limited look down the stretch.
Knies posted an assist in his 3 regular season games, and added a goal and 3 assists in his 7 playoff games. Now the real work begins. Knies has never had to endure an 82-game season and as much as we want to believe that he's ready for the grind and the heightened expectations of the NHL, we don't yet know for sure how he'll respond. Having said that, though, there are a few different options available to the Leafs with the rookie winger.
1. Start him in the bottom 6
Allowing Knies to become acclimated to the rigors of the NHL in sheltered minutes, anchored to a defensively responsible David Kampf might be the top option for the Leafs when it comes to Knies. He looked very ready at the end of last season and in the playoffs, but with young players, it can be very beneficial for their development to allow the to grow into larger roles organically.
2. Start him in the top 6
It cannot be overstated just how excellent Knies was for the Leafs in the playoffs. It's even more impressive when you consider what he was able to do with extremely limited NHL experience. Just take a look at his first goal in the NHL:
I wouldn't normally advocate for starting a young, inexperienced player in the top 6, but Knies not only showed that he can hang during the playoffs - he also created some excellent chances for himself, showing no hesitation in his willingness to drive the net and force the puck into dangerous scoring areas. We know he can swim, so I don't think throwing him into the deep end right away would be detrimental in this case.
3. Start him in the AHL
I know this one won't be a popular option, but if the team's development staff have any questions about Knies' game whatsoever or if they think certain areas of his game may need to be strengthened, it might not be the worst idea in the world to start him on the top line in the AHL and allow him to play big minutes in all situations for the Marlies rather than playing him limited minutes in the bottom six in the NHL. It's not unprecedented for a young player who shows well in his first look at the end of a season to then stumble the following year, when the expectations are much higher.
I don't think there are really any wrong answers here with Knies, per se. He's got the size, he seems to have the intelligence and with what we've seen from him so far, he appears to be able to not only hang, but excel. Personally, I don't believe he'll need seasoning in the AHL. I think he's good to go. However, I'm not entirely sure about where I personally see him; in the top 6 or the bottom 6, though I'm leaning bottom 6 for the simple fact that if he performs well there, you can elevate him and boost his confidence. If the Leafs start him in the top 6 and he struggles, then you run the risk of destroying his confidence if you demote him.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 6 | 434 ANSWERS The Leafs have multiple good options available to them with Matthew Knies this season How many points do you expect from Matthew Knies in his rookie season? | ||
| 40 or less | 129 | 29.7 % |
| 41-50 | 188 | 43.3 % |
| 51-60 | 84 | 19.4 % |
| More than 60 | 33 | 7.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
