So far, Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect Matthew Knies has played in three games during the 2022-23 regular season. For what it’s worth, all three have been wins by his team.
The most recent game was last night against the New York Rangers. In that game, Knies didn’t have a goal or an assist. In his second game, which was on April 11th against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Knies had an assist. In his first game on April 10th against the Florida Panthers, Knies didn’t register a point. His average TOI was 12:41.
Not a ton of scoring, but successful play on his part.
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Knies’ First Game Was a Whirlwind of Activity
Knies’ debut with the Maple Leafs was a memorable one. It was more than playing in the game, Knies had to fly into Florida and go through the battery of tests that all NHL players must have done before he could play. In fact, head coach Sheldon Keefe noted that, just before the game when he spoke with Knies, the youngster was still having tests done.
In that first game, Coach Keefe praised Knies for handling the situation well. In addition, Keefe thought Knies played a good game. He made a few mistakes, two on one shift. However, Keefe took the high ground. He noted that mistakes were an opportunity for Knies to learn and adjust his game.
After that first game in Florida, in a postgame interview, Knies reflected on his NHL debut. He noted that it was surreal and a huge step up from college hockey. He admitted that the speed and “heaviness” of the players were big adjustments he had to make. However, he was confident that he would get better the more games he played.
Knies also shared how special it was to play alongside Auston Matthews. He noted that Matthews was his biggest influence. That makes sense because they are two of only a handful of NHL players who grew up in the desert of Arizona. Both are from the Phoenix area.
Overall, Knies’ debut performance was promising, and it seems that he hasn’t slowed down. His second and third games were also just as positive.
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So, Where Does Knies Stand After Three Games?
In a recent Sportsnet video, Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee talk about Knies’ experience so far. They are impressed. They believe he has not looked out of place in his first week in the NHL.
Kypreos, Bourne, and McKee are impressed with Knies’ performance so far. They think he hasn’t looked out of place. He’s also shown the ability to battle along the walls, make plays, and get pucks to the net. They particularly like his energy and wonder if he can sustain it. At the same time; and, this is a bit like the comment on Nick Robertson’s enthusiasm, will he be able to fall into a more reliable positional game if needed? Robertson had a hard time toning down.
They also speculate about where Knies might be today if he had played last year with the team. That said, they express excitement about his potential as a young player who is only now 20 years of age.
The point is that Knies still has room to fill out and get stronger. Overall, they view him as a promising prospect who has made a good impression in his limited time with the team.
Specific Points the Panel Makes About Knies
Here is a summary of five specific points the panel made about Matthew Knies:
Point One: He has not looked out of place in his few games with the team so far.
Point Two: He has shown his ability to battle along the walls, make plays, and get pucks to the net.
Point Three: His energy on the ice is a standout quality, but they wonder if he can sustain it and fall into a more reliable positional game if needed.
Point Four: They speculate on where he might be today if he had played last year and express excitement about his potential as a young player who still has room to fill out and get stronger.
Point Five: They also note that he is only 20 years old and has the potential to grow and develop as a player.
Welcome to the Blue & White Matthew Knies.
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