Toronto Prized Prospect Knies Soon to Get A Shot to Stick With Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs did their utmost to improve their roster before the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline arrived, including deepening their group of forwards to include veterans Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, and Sam Lafferty. That said, the forward who could have the biggest impact for the Buds has yet to play his first game in hockey’s ultimate league: we speak, of course, of NCAA star forward Matthew Knies, Toronto’s most valuable prospect, who is finishing up his 2022-23 season with the University of Minnesota; the Phoenix native is a collegiate star in his sophomore NHL season, with 21 goals and 41 points in 36 games this year.

But don’t expect the Leafs to be desperately seeking contributions on offense from Knies. Now, it would be wonderful for Leafs GM Kyle Dubas to have Knies sign a professional contract once his NCAA season is over and thrive in his initial games as an NHLer. But anything the 20-year-old Knies brings to the table as a rookie has to be looked at as gravy for the veteran-laden Leafs.

Giving Knies a shot at the NHL right after signing a contract with the Leafs wouldn’t be the first time Toronto brass has tested a youngster’s mettle with a late-season tryout. Most recently, at the end of last season, the Buds signed collegiate star forward Nick Abruzzese and gave him a nine-game look at the NHL level. Abruzzese has thrived on the American League’s Toronto Marlies this season, with 15 goals and 43 points in 62 games, but it says something about the Leafs’ depth up front that the 23-year-old Abruzzese has not played an NHL game this year.

As soon as Knies signs with the Leafs, fans should expect to see Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe give him a shot at the second-line left winger position. Depending on the health status of O’Reilly – who may be given the third-line center job after his return from injury – Knies will have a chance to play alongside star forwards John Tavares and William Nylander. There are other possible line combinations in Toronto’s top-six forwards that could put Knies alongside potential linemates and superstars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Keefe likes to experiment with different line combinations, and whatever situation produces the most success on offense is what Keefe will go with once the playoffs begin.

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There’s also the possibility that Knies is eased into the NHL game as part of Toronto’s bottom-six group of forwards. But many hockey observers believe that is a distant second choice for Leafs’ management when it comes to Knies. If he can’t succeed with Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander, Knies may need more professional seasoning before he’s truly ready to be a difference-maker at the NHL level. And the Leafs aren’t in a position to be patient and willing to roll out Knies night after night when he’s not succeeding. They have other players to experiment with, and whoever makes a dent on offense is the player who’ll stay in the top-six forward group.

In a different time in their competitive cycle, the Leafs would’ve been able to offer Knies a slew of opportunities to learn as he plays, but as it currently stands, they can’t be picky about where their secondary scoring comes from. Knies has developed a winning pedigree – he was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year this season – but that doesn’t always translate into effectiveness as a scoring threat. And it takes a certain kind of player to be able to thrive in the hockey fishbowl that is Toronto. We’ll soon find out if Knies is that kind of player.

And if he is able to prove the hype about him is well-founded, the Maple Leafs will happily welcome him into the top-six forward unit, for this year, and many seasons to come.