Matthew Knies with a huge statement game against Notre Dame
For Leafs prospect Matthew Knies, all eyes have been on him since being drafted 57th overall by the Buds in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. His unique blend of size, speed, skill and physicality has quickly shot him to the top of the Leafs' prospect pool and while the club had hoped he'd have signed his ELC and joined the team last spring for their playoff run, the 20-year-old opted for one more year of college hockey.
Knies and his University of Minnesota Golden Gophers were in action against the University of Notre Dame on Friday and, boy, did Knies have himself a night. The Phoenix, AZ native scored a sensational shorthanded goal and potted 2 assists to cap off a 3-point night in a 4-1 victory for the Gophers.
It's games like these that have Leafs fans salivating over the idea of having Knies in the lineup every night for the Buds. While it's important to temper expectations, especially for a 2nd round pick, Knies is often referred to as a "unicorn", as there aren't many players built like he is that can do what he can do. The Leafs have not had a legitimate power forward since perhaps Gary Roberts and the idea that we could have another one on the way is exciting to say the least.
Knies is now up to 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points in 9 games.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 5 | 90 ANSWERS Matthew Knies with a huge statement game against Notre Dame How many points will Knies finish his sophomore season with? | ||
| 30 or less | 14 | 15.6 % |
| 31-35 | 20 | 22.2 % |
| 36-40 | 22 | 24.4 % |
| More than 40 | 34 | 37.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
