It was just two years ago when Matthew Knies emerged as a curiosity starring in the collegiate ranks, to immediate contributor for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the span of two weeks. Knies hit the ground running, with just three regular season games under his belt, but he made an immediate impact against top-level competition in his first playoff series and never looked back. The 22-year-old is the bridge between the Maple Leafs’ current, win-now window and an uncertain future. All that matters is the present, and Knies’ ascension into a genuine star power forward — the fifth member of the Core Five, if you will — provides the Maple Leafs with an element they’ve missed in previous years.
Knies was part of the past two postseasons, but again, he exceeded even the most optimistic projections coming directly from the University of Minnesota in 2023. Last spring, Knies posted two goals and three points in seven playoff games, and was largely devoid of fault, although it was clear that he needed to produce if he was going to occupy the top left wing spot alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Knies-Matthews-Marner are the Maple Leafs’ most-commonly used unit at 5-on-5 for the second consecutive season and this year, the production matched the eye test, as the burgeoning star recorded 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games. Knies’ form has carried over to the playoffs, where he’s posted three goals in four games, including a highlight-reel breakaway goal in Game 4.
I wrote about Knies’ breakout season in November, where he was beginning to put together the totality of his skill set, showing off his unique combination of speed, size, power, and scoring touch with increased frequency during the regular season. Knies has taken another leap during the second half of the year, and he’s playing a unique role for the Leafs, offsetting some of the pressure cast upon Matthews and Marner, who are tasked with excelling in all situations. He’s been a primary reason why the Maple Leafs’ power play have converted on 5-of-13 power play chances through four games, while the team clicked at a 30.8 success rate since February 1, the second-best mark in the NHL during that span. And he knows his role and responsibility, while providing some good humour as well.
“You’ve got a lot of star talent with those four guys there. I’ve just got to park my big ass in front,” Knies said following the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 overtime victory over the Senators in Game 3.
Knies is a different player from anyone the Leafs used during the Matthews-Marner era in the playoffs. With due respect to Michael Bunting, he was a puck-retrieval specialist tasked with drawing penalties and nothing more. Zach Hyman had yet to emerge as the perpetual 30-goal threat that he’s developed into with the Edmonton Oilers, and Knies is capable of driving the line, when Matthews and Marner have a rare off night — which, to their credit, they’ve been excellent throughout the opening four games.
It’s also becoming abundantly clear that Knies’ stature is growing internally among the Maple Leafs.
“He’s a powerful guy, and what really impressed me was, it looked like he got in really tight on the goalie, but just pulling that puck back and getting it upstairs,” Berube said of Knies’ breakaway goal on Sunday. “That’s a high-end goal by him. He keeps impressing me, along with impressing everybody in the organization. He’s a very competitive player with a ton of talent, but it’s his effort that drives him in my opinion.”
Knies has graduated into a core player for the Maple Leafs, and will surely be signed to a lengthy extension this summer as a restricted free agent. He’s providing the Maple Leafs with an archetype they’ve sorely lacked in the past, and his ascension into a genuine star is one of the primary reasons why this spring could be different for the Core Four, which has to be renamed to the Core Five.
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