The youngest Maple Leaf is also their heaviest skater, and he’s been throwing his weight around lately.
At six-foot-three and 227 pounds, Matthew Knies is 10 pounds heavier than at the beginning of last season. The 22-year-old forward also has five goals in his last six games.
“He has such a presence down low in front of the net,” Leafs centre Auston Matthews said of his fellow Arizonan. “He’s finding really good spots and he’s capitalizing on some of these opportunities. He’s a beast.”
Berube, like Keefe before him, tried separating the two stars but it wasn’t working for Toronto.
Knies has been playing on the top line alongside Matthews and Mitch Marner, and using his size and skill to find early success. With six goals in 11 games, he trails only William Nylander (eight) in that category among Leafs heading into Saturday night’s date with the Blues in St. Louis.
The latest tally came in Thursday’s 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Late in the first period at Scotiabank Arena, Knies was lurking in the low slot when Matthews forced the puck forward off a faceoff before Marner fed him a quick pass. Knies dropped to one knee and made no mistake.
“I think (Matthews) saw that he could make that play. It was pretty incredible that (Matthews and Marner) made that,” Knies said following the win. “I just had to bury it into the open net.”
OH MY, WHAT A TREAT 🍬
— pc28Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs)
The goal was reminiscent of others he’s scored this season: close to the net with space. His large frame and finesse have complemented Matthews and Marner, who have seen many linemates rotate on left wing since Zach Hyman departed for the Edmonton Oilers in 2021.
“He’s a big horse out there,” Marner said of Knies. “It’s been great just to see him come into his own. He’s a big body, wins a lot of one-on-one battles and gets the puck back for us. He takes a lot of abuse in front of the net, but he gets his goals for it.”
Knies bounced around the lineup last season, with some looks on the top line. By the post-season, he was no longer on Matthews’ left side. But it’s the only spot he’s played this season, staking a claim for the foreseeable future.
The Leafs know that having Tavares as their second-line centre historically hasn’t worked out. They’d be ill-advised to stick with that formula again.
The Leafs know that having Tavares as their second-line centre historically hasn’t worked out. They’d be ill-advised to stick with that formula again.
Marner credits Knies for adjusting to what can be a difficult assignment.
“Sometimes (Matthews and I) go in weird spots that I think we know where each other are, but some guys can’t really figure it out,” he said. “Knies has done an unbelievable job of that this year.”
This week, Knies also asked teammate Ryan Reaves for advice about fighting. Knies has only dropped the gloves once in his young career, but the situation might arise considering his physical style. Reaves has more than 75 NHL fights under his belt.
Matthew Knies on asking Ryan Reaves about fighting after practice: “Just curious … it’s cool how he stays calm & tries to be smart”
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters)
Reaves on Knies: “He’d be able to handle himself any time the situation came. He’s a brick, whatever, house (smile) … I can’t say it on TV”
“I’m sure he’ll be able to handle himself any time the situation comes,” Reaves told reporters. “Last year he looked solid, too. He said he wanted to lose weight, and I was like: No, I wouldn’t do that.”
Coach Craig Berube said recently that the ceiling for Knies is comparable to top NHL power forwards Keith Tkachuk, John LeClair and Bill Guerin, all of whom retired with more than 800 points. It’s also a contract year for Knies, and the Leafs clearly believe in his future.
“I think he just understands what type of player he is, and he’s doing that shift to shift,” Berube said. “He knows when he creates those loose pucks ... to get to the net, and he’s getting rewarded from it.”
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