Throughout much of the summer, the most dominant storylines were about the new faces coming to Toronto in Max Domi, Ryan Reaves, Tyler Bertuzzi and John Klingberg, the contract statuses of two of the Leafs' biggest stars in Auston Matthews and William Nylander, and the Matt Murray LTIR cap loophole.
Lost in all of this was the fact that we are also approaching Matthew Knies' rookie season. Knies stands a very good chance of being a difference-maker for this team. His on-ice impacts were obvious in his brief look in the Leafs' lineup at the end of last season and throughout the playoffs. Despite having limited opportunities to practice with the team, Knies stepped into an immediate top-6 role and appeared to thrive before his injury, suffered at the hands of Florida's Sam Bennett in round 2 of the playoffs.
Maple Leafs captain John Tavares met with the media this week, ahead of the start of training camp, and spoke very highly of Knies, in specific, calling the soon-to-be 21-year-old a "homerun" and stating that his potential is "through the roof".
Tavares opened up his home to the rookie winger last season after he had signed his entry-level contract in April, taking Knies under his wing and guiding him through his transition from the NCAA to the NHL. Knies revealed earlier this summer that Tavares has once again opened his door to him to begin this season, as the former University of Minnesota Golden Gopher continues to become acclimated to Toronto and life in the NHL.
Living with Tavares, Knies is receiving an inside look at what a consummate pro does each and every day to ensure that he's able to play at the highest level all season long. Whatever Knies has done so far in Tavares' presence, it has certainly given Tavares a very positive outlook on his future in Toronto.
