Popular Hockey Analyst Predicting a Breakout Season for One Young Maple Leafs Winger
Hockey analyst Kevin Bieksa has seen enough from one young Maple Leafs winger to determine that a breakout season is on the immediate horizon.
The Toronto Maple Leafs secured a 4-2 victory against their former GM Kyle Dubas and his new club, the Pittsburgh Penguins, improving their record to 2-1 on the season.
A significant contributor to the win was sophomore forward Matthew Knies, who scored an impressive goal from the slot to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead in the contest. Knies is poised for a bigger role with the club this season, which means a lot more opportunity. His status on the Maple Leafs' top line alongside superstar players Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews could give him a nice springboard.
Knies appears to be a potential breakout player who could surpass the 60-point mark, if he maintains his strong performance and continues to gel with Matthews and Marner on the top line.
Kevin Bieksa is a big believer in Knies, and on Sportsnet's Hockey Night in Canada coverage on Saturday, he suggested strongly that Knies is poised for a big season.
Knies is coming off a solid rookie campaign, amassing 35 points in 80 games. However, his point production last season doesn't fully capture his true impact. He plays strongly on the puck, excels at navigating tight spaces on the ice, and is an excellent puck retriever thanks to his size, standing at 6'3 and weighing 227 pounds.
The Leafs are relying on a few players to take a step this season. Knies is one of those players, and after the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi this summer, opportunity has come knocking. At the moment, there is nobody on the roster, aside from perhaps Nick Robertson after a successful pre-season, who is really a threat to Knies' ice time. Now, it's up to Knies to ensure that he keeps his head down, works hard and continues to make the strides that the team needs him to make. If he can do that, his chances of seeing his production skyrocket will be very good with the increased ice time and opportunity.
