Matthew Knies Looks for a Better Showing Toward the end of Maple Leafs Development Camp

Matthew Knies admitted it took some time for him to get adjusted to his first scrimmage at Toronto Maple Leafs development camp on Tuesday.

"I'm trying to do a little bit too much, stickhandling the puck a little bit too long," Knies said. "I'm trying to make too many moves where I think it was a problem in the game. The pressure has been good, but I think there's some bad habits that I picked up from it. 

Knies hasn't played in a game setting since last April when his University of Minnesota Golden Gophers were eliminated in the semifinals of the Frozen Four. 

Many others among the 44-player development camp had their seasons extend into May or even later. That included defenseman William Villeneuve, who carried himself well in coverage against Knies.

"He's a great player," Villeneuve said of the forward. "You always want to compare yourself to the best players out there, we had a couple of good battles."

Villeneuve is coming off a Memorial Cup championship with the Saint John Sea Dogs and played in the most competitive game of his life just over three weeks ago. 

So from that standpoint, Knies' lack of comfort shouldn't be a complete shock.

Toronto's second-round pick (57th overall) from the 2021 NHL Draft, Knies has been getting special attention during this camp. When on-ice developmental sessions wrapped up on Monday, The Phoenix native stay on the ice to work on skills with four different skills development coaches.

"I have the tools and the strength and size but those little details such as shooting that we practiced is where I can improve," Knies said.

The extra work sessions are a product of both Knies looking for feedback while the development staff finds areas that need improvement, like shooting and his skating.

Knies is committed to his NCAA club for an additional season, so despite the extra attention he's getting, there isn't a lot of pressure on him to outclass the field of players that consists of many walk-ons.

The 19-year-old Knies elected to stay with the Gophers for next season instead of making the jump to the NHL where he would have been given a chance to join the Maple Leafs. He admitted earlier in the week that he didn't feel he was mature enough yet and ready to make the jump.

So now is the time for him to be a sponge. While a single development camp does not make a player, Assistant GM Hayley Wickenheiser is looking to see how prospects adapt to instruction.

"We want to see who can pick something up and be able to execute it right away," Wickenheiser said. "It reveals a lot but you also know this is a development camp and there's a long runway here to improve."

The Maple Leafs will have one more day of on-ice development sessions on Thursday before camp wraps up with a scrimmage on Friday.