What Maple Leafs fans can expect from Matthew Knies

Matthew Knies is finally a fully-fledged Maple Leaf after Toronto signed its top prospect to an entry-level contract following his Minnesota college team's overtime defeat in the NCAA hockey title game. The Leafs drafted the 20-year-old 57th overall in the 2021 Entry Draft.

Video Transcript

OMAR: I don't know if you noticed, but the age of Matthew Knies has finally come for Leaf nation in the most leafy way possible. I mean, we're waiting to see how Matthew Knies season was going to end in college, and it pretty much ended in the most leafy way you can imagine. His team was in the championship game. They were up with a lead. They blew a 2-goal lead, and then they lost the game in overtime, 10 seconds. At least he wasn't on the ice, but I guess to that point, he's kind of prepared to be a Leaf.

But the big question is, what should we expect from him? Because there's kind of two camps when it comes to Matthew Knies and most Leaf fans. There are those who are hyping him up as being the next one, the best prospect since Auston Matthews, and there are those who are saying, hey, let's calm down. Let's chill. The transition from college to the NHL is huge. Now, I agree with that for sure. That being said, there's something about Matthew Knies that feels different.

I don't know if it's because of how he was brought up. You know, he's an Arizona kid just like Auston Matthews. He was a second round pick that a lot of people say afterwards, probably, it could have been a first round pick. You know, the way he plays, he's heavy on the pluck. He had a hot nose for the net. He knows where to go. He can make skilled plays and be physical at the same time. So a lot of his style already kind of lends itself to NHL play already, but should we be tempering expectations?

Should we expect him to have a significant role on the team? I know what I want. I don't want Matthew Knies to be on the team to play fourth line minutes. Now at the same time, I don't want him to automatically be sent to the top line. That's too much responsibility. I think on a third line in some way, shape, or form could be the best way for him, kind of an area where he can grow, get comfortable with the game, find his game a little bit, adapt, get stronger, and so on, and so forth.

But hey, it's a three year deal and he's burning a year on his deal anyway. Hand play for the [? Marleys, ?] it might as well get him get him in a couple of NHL games. And hey, who knows, maybe there is an injury or something, or maybe they just see a fit for him in the playoffs, and maybe he can be that significant contributor. I don't know. It'd be cool, especially if he does it in a 67 Jersey. He might wore it at 23. That's what he wore in the training camp, but he wore 67 at the Olympics.

It would be pretty interesting, it would be pretty fun, but I'm definitely looking forward to see how this goes.