LW Matthew Knies - Tri-City Storm, USHL (2021, 57th, TOR)

[Craig Ludwig]

We will see. He's gotten more physical every single game of this series. He's no Bennett, but Gudas and Tkachuk both bounced off him last night when he had the puck. Only time he got crushed was when Staal hit him 4 seconds after he passed the puck.

I think he will grow into that power forward label, more in the Tarasenko/tanky classification and not the Wilson type.

Good point

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

OMG, really? Are you just saying this to get some attention? Top 10 in the entire NHL?

Yes I think maybe even top 5. Dude is gonna be a 25g+ 50g+ PWF right off the bat.

Can you name 10 legit PWFs better than that?

 

[Castle8130]

Timothy liljegren: overrated by leafs fans
Rasmus Sandin: overrated by leafs fans
Nicolas Robertson: overrated by leafs fans
Rodin Amirov: overrated by leafs fans

Matthew Knies: Best pick the leafs have made in a long long time (considering draft position)

HM: You could argue Verhaeghe, but he didn't play for the leafs

 

[Future]

Timothy liljegren: overrated by leafs fans
Rasmus Sandin: overrated by leafs fans
Nicolas Robertson: overrated by leafs fans
Rodin Amirov: overrated by leafs fans

Matthew Knies: Best pick the leafs have made in a long long time (considering draft position)

HM: You could argue Verhaeghe, but he didn't play for the leafs

To be fair, Liljegren and Sandin are both good young defensemen in the NHL, Robertson has been plagued by injuries, and Amirov has been battling a brain tumour.

 

[ijuka]

Timothy liljegren: overrated by leafs fans
Rasmus Sandin: overrated by leafs fans
Nicolas Robertson: overrated by leafs fans
Rodin Amirov: overrated by leafs fans

Matthew Knies: Best pick the leafs have made in a long long time (considering draft position)

HM: You could argue Verhaeghe, but he didn't play for the leafs

Is Sandin overrated? He had 15 points in 19 games for Caps to end the season. Sure, a small sample size but...

 

[Castle8130]

Is Sandin overrated? He had 15 points in 19 games for Caps to end the season. Sure, a small sample size but...

Yeah, but media had been hyping Sandin up so much to the point where he was bonafide as a top 5 or top 3 in the 2018 re-draft. Liljegren was hyped up to be a top pairing defenseman. Not saying they are bust's, but the hype was completely overblown

 

[Primary Assist]

Timothy liljegren: overrated by leafs fans
Rasmus Sandin: overrated by leafs fans
Nicolas Robertson: overrated by leafs fans
Rodin Amirov: overrated by leafs fans

Matthew Knies: Best pick the leafs have made in a long long time (considering draft position)

HM: You could argue Verhaeghe, but he didn't play for the leafs

Why would you even include Amirov in this list?

 

[Maplebeasts]

Timothy liljegren: overrated by leafs fans
Rasmus Sandin: overrated by leafs fans
Nicolas Robertson: overrated by leafs fans
Rodin Amirov: overrated by leafs fans

Matthew Knies: Best pick the leafs have made in a long long time (considering draft position)

HM: You could argue Verhaeghe, but he didn't play for the leafs

Liljegren is actually good though. His defensive results all season long are fantastic. Sandin is excellent offensively and put up big numbers for the caps to end the year. Amirov has brain cancer. Including him here seems rather harsh.

 

[Castle8130]

Liljegren is actually good though. His defensive results all season long are fantastic. Sandin is excellent offensively and put up big numbers for the caps to end the year. Amirov has brain cancer. Including him here seems rather harsh.

Ya know, I totally forgot he had a brain tumor. Just forget I mentioned him.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Timothy liljegren: overrated by leafs fans
Rasmus Sandin: overrated by leafs fans
Nicolas Robertson: overrated by leafs fans
Rodin Amirov: overrated by leafs fans

Matthew Knies: Best pick the leafs have made in a long long time (considering draft position)

HM: You could argue Verhaeghe, but he didn't play for the leafs

Forgot Bracco

 

[Golden_Jet]

Is Sandin overrated? He had 15 points in 19 games for Caps to end the season. Sure, a small sample size but...

He was drafted because he played for the Soo. Dubas first selection as sole GM.

Knies Looked really good sometimes and then some bad giveaways sometimes, that’s what rookies do, until more experience.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

Power Forward is getting hard to describe in the NHL now, the average size of a forward is 6'1 and 200 Pounds. Knies is listed at 210 Pounds, I wouldn't classify him as a Power Forward. 10 Pounds above the average is not a big difference. He'll be good, but I'm not going to say he'll be the equivalent of a Tom Wilson or Josh Anderson in terms of physicality, and can score 40 goals.

Knies is 6'3" and 210 as a 20 year old. His Minny coach said he thinks he should play at 225-230 in the NHL. Guy is gonna be a tank in a couple of years. He already is one but even more so. Gudas tried to kill him last night and ended up on his ass.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Yes I think maybe even top 5. Dude is gonna be a 25g+ 50g+ PWF right off the bat.

Can you name 10 legit PWFs better than that?

There aren’t really any power forwards anymore, except Brady Tkachuk, and
Tom Wilson, Benn maybe.

So no I don’t put him in that category of 30+ goals, hits like a truck, drops the gloves.

 

[WTFMAN99]

He has been good since coming into the NHL, definitely exceeding expectations.

Makes me all the more curious about what a summer with NHL resources being made available to him could do.

He's not the second coming of Gretzky but appears to be a good player.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

There aren’t really any power forwards anymore, except Brady Tkachuk, and
Tom Wilson, Benn maybe.

So no I don’t put him in that category of 30+ goals, hits like a truck, drops the gloves.

There are still some power forwards out there. And Knies is going to be one of the best ones for a long time.

 

[Golden_Jet]

There are still some power forwards out there. And Knies is going to be one of the best ones for a long time.

Guess our definition of typical power forward is.
For me it’s guys like I said Brady Tkachuk, Wilson and Benn. They can pop 30+, hit hard and chuck em. Don’t see Knies chucking them for one.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Guess our definition of typical power forward is.
For me it’s guys like I said Brady Tkachuk, Wilson and Benn. They can pop 30+, hit hard and chuck em. Don’t see Knies chucking them for one.

Fighting is irrelevant these days.

 

[93LEAFS]

Liljegren is actually good though. His defensive results all season long are fantastic. Sandin is excellentY offensively and put up big numbers for the caps to end the year. Amirov has brain cancer. Including him here seems rather harsh.

I don't really care about people taking shots at us for overhyping prospects, every fanbase does it, we just happened to have the largest one. But, including Amirov is ridiculous and lacks empathy. I'm not a fan of Vancouver or the Rangers, but I would never use Bourdan or Cherepanov to emphasize they are bad at drafting.

Knies in my opinion is the best pick the Leafs have made under Dubas, and I am far from a Dubas homer, and I was never particularly high on Robertson. I liked Sandin, although, I was always worried about his skating, and it causes him problems on defence against breakouts. Knies is a great prospect in that he's the perfect 3rd wheel on a top line (a role he has earned in this playoffs), with a potential for much more. He has a very good baseline as an NHLer with the hands, size, and IQ to do a lot more.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Guess our definition of typical power forward is.
For me it’s guys like I said Brady Tkachuk, Wilson and Benn. They can pop 30+, hit hard and chuck em. Don’t see Knies chucking them for one.

I mean we really have no idea whether Knies will or won't be willing to fight.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Fighting is irrelevant these days.

Still happens, and intimidating for some, so still relevant.
But there are less fights.

I mean we really have no idea whether Knies will or won't be willing to fight.

No we don’t, so ya never know,
most are usually wound that way though.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Still happens, and intimidating for some, so still relevant.
But there are less fights.


No we don’t, so ya never know,
most are usually wound that way though.

I mean he played college hockey where it isn't allowed at all and they are wearing cages to jumping into the NHL a week before the playoffs. Like I highly doubt he is going to turn into like the best fighter in hockey or something but he absolutely could become a willing fighter once he gets more settled into the NHL...and it isn't the middle of a playoff run. There is nothing that can be drawn from his career so far in regards to that.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Still happens, and intimidating for some, so still relevant.
But there are less fights.


No we don’t, so ya never know,
most are usually wound that way though.

He came from NCAA which doesn’t allow fighting. There is never fighting in the playoffs. He may get into a scrap or two here and there but I don’t think it’s all that relevant if it’s a big part of his game or not. Helps the team more on the ice than sitting in the box.

 

[Golden_Jet]

He came from NCAA which doesn’t allow fighting. There is never fighting in the playoffs. He may get into a scrap or two here and there but I don’t think it’s all that relevant if it’s a big part of his game or not. Helps the team more on the ice than sitting in the box.

I’m aware of NCAA rules thanks.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I’m aware of NCAA rules thanks.

Your whole argument for why he is not a power forward rests on fighting so thought I’d give you a bit more context, thanks.

 

[Future]

He’s so good that Florida is trying to injure him. I’d take that as a compliment