eBay listings have seen pre-sales in the range of $115 Canadian dollars for the card. What his Young Guns actually goes for on release day is anyone’s guess, but he’ll certainly be a hot commodity.
Hockey card collectors got a nice surprise when Upper Deck announced an early release for its flagship Series One set. Typically, the hobby has to wait until mid-November to dive into one of the hobbies most anticipated sets of the year. However, the product is ready for distribution and will be available to the public on October 18th.
Series One is always a fun product to rip into as it contains the highly coveted Young Guns rookie cards of the league's top freshmen. So when the checklist dropped last week I was excited to check it out and see which top rookies I should be hunting.
In this five-part series, I will be ranking the top five chase cards in the set.
The first player in this series I am going to highlight is arguably the most sought-after card in Series One: Card #223 Matthew Knies.
Knies is a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect who was drafted as the 57th overall selection in 2021 and quickly became one of the better value picks of the draft. Knies has a unique blend of size and skill that has many scouts intrigued at what he can become when he reaches his peak.
After being drafted out of the USHL, Knies decided to take his talents to the University of Minnesota for two seasons where he notched 36 goals and 75 points earning himself a Hobey Baker nomination in his sophomore year as one of college hockey’s top players.
After two years and a pair of Frozen Four appearances, the Golden Gophers decided to trade in his red and gold for blue and white and finally signed his entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs for the final three games of the 2022-23 regular season. He only recorded one assist in those contests, but his strong play on and off the puck earned him an every-night spot in the Leafs lineup through the playoffs until he got injured in game one of the second round. He finished with one goal and four points in seven playoff games.
There are high expectations for the 20-year-old Leafs power forward as he embarks on his first full season in the national hockey league. There is a legitimate chance for him to acclimate himself into the Leafs' top-six unit and have some serious production. If he can do that in a market like Toronto, his rookie card will become extremely desired.
eBay listings have seen pre-sales in the range of $115 Canadian dollars for the card. What his Young Guns actually goes for on release day is anyone’s guess, but he’ll certainly be a hot commodity.
