Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Matthew Knies is drawn to big moments as a complementary player. He contributes on and off the scoresheet, writes Tony Ferrari.
Every time a big moment occurred as the Toronto Maple Leafs won their first-round playoff series for the first time in nearly two decades, No. 23 was often on the ice.
Around the net front on Morgan Rielly’s overtime-winner in Game 3. In the slot on the Alexander Kerfoot deflection in overtime to win Game 4. Cycling the puck to John Tavares, getting the primary assist on Tavares’ OT series-clinching goal.
One game into the second round, Knies found himself back at the forefront. After deflecting a point shot high in the defensive zone past Ilya Samosnov in an attempt to block the shot, Knies made up for his mistake 11 seconds later. On a play in which he displayed the power of a Mac Truck and the finesse of a Maserati, Knies scored his first NHL goal.
Matthew Knies keeps finding himself on the highlight reel of some of the biggest moments in Leafs' history this millennium.
Knies just seems to be around success for the Maple Leafs despite having played twice as many playoff games (six) than regular-season games (three) in his young NHL career. He wasn’t even in the Game 1 lineup for Toronto. Entering the lineup after Micheal Bunting’s suspension, Knies not only didn’t give up his spot, but he’s locked down a spot in the top six.
Sheldon Keefe said there wasn’t a second thought about Knies coming out when Bunting came back. The kid had made his mark on the coach and earned the trust of the team.
Knies leads all rookies in scoring in the playoffs, but his impact goes far beyond the scoresheet. The well-rounded nature of his game is a testament to the development he’s seen since his USHL days with the Tri-City Storm.
In his two years at the University of Minnesota, Knies took his game from raw to refined.
He was physically gifted with size and speed, bringing an element of power as he would lower his shoulder and attack the net, skating downhill at defenders and unloading a shot from high danger. His penchant for throwing pucks to the middle and working the cycle to put pucks down low meant his assist totals always remained solid despite not being a true playmaker in the same vein as Mitch Marner or Jack Hughes.
The NCAA experience gave him time to grow mentally and use his physical tools to get by while he adjusted to playing against skaters with more size and speed. It allowed him to find his role on a powerhouse line alongside Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud. College hockey allowed Knies to build his game as a complementary player rather than the play driver.
And with that, he excelled.
Knies earned a finalist nod for the Hobey Baker trophy this season while also collecting first-team all-American honors and being named the Big-Ten player of the year. His 42 points in 40 games weren’t enough to crack the top 10 in national scoring, but everyone who saw him play knew that his value went far beyond the scoresheet.
His defensive engagement, his board play, the way he connected plays for Cooley and Snuggerud, his ability around the net front and so many of the little things that don’t wind up on highlight reels all made Knies one of the NCAA’s best players.
His college hockey journey ended in Tampa at Amalie Arena as his Minnesota Golden Gophers lost in overtime to Quinnipiac in the NCAA championship game. Fast forward exactly three weeks, and he collected the assist in overtime in that same arena to clinch the Leafs' first series win since he was in diapers.
Knies' three assists have all come at pivotal times. Aside from Tavares’ overtime-winner, he assisted on the game-opening goals in both Games 5 and 6 to help set the tone. All three of his helpers have been primary assists as well. He showed time and again he belongs in this lineup.
Knies fits right in with Toronto’s other top players when it comes to lifting sticks and stripping pucks. Marner topped the league in that category, while Auston Matthews and William Nylander both ranked inside the top 12. Adding another puck thief to the squad makes them even more difficult to play against.
With Ryan O’Reilly and John Tavares regularly regarded as some of the best board and cycle players, Knies' addition to that has been noticeable as well. He fit right in when Toronto was hemming the Bolts in their zone. It didn’t happen too often, but when it did, Knies was usually on the ice. Knies made it difficult for the Lightning to break out of their own zone, pressuring and batting down passes to sustain pressure.
Knies has looked good with any line he’s been placed on thus far. Whether he was with O’Reilly and Noel Acciari on the third line, bumped up to the Tavares line alongside Marner, or riding shotgun with Matthews and Nylander as he is now, Knies fills the void and makes the line work. If a defender is pinching, he understands he needs to fill the void defensively at the blueline and remains active to burst down the wall when the defender retreats to their position.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound left winger willingly uses his size on the forecheck, throwing hits along the end boards and putting pressure on opposing defenders to make quick decisions. He establishes body position and wreaks havoc around the net, combining his strength and soft hands to generate chances from the most dangerous areas of the ice.
Matthew Knies has proven ready for the spotlight, and he could quietly be one of Toronto’s most important players in the most understated way.