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Interesting wrinkle may prevent Leafs star Matthew Knies from playing in the Olympics
Photo credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
With the Olympics just around the corner and rosters needing to be finalized, one insider believes one thing may prevent Leafs' Matthew Knies from taking part.
After all the buzz that came from the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last season, all eyes are fully focused on the upcoming Winter Olympics, which will finally feature NHL players for the first time since 2014.
We are reaching the deadline for when rosters need to be finalized ahead of the Olympics, which is set for the 31st of December. There are a lot of Olympic hopefuls that didn't make their respective 4 Nations rosters that have done very well to start the 2025-26 season, but it sounds like they're still on the outs, and that includes Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies.
NHL insider Anthony Di Marco recently spoke to a Team USA source to get the ins and outs on how the Americans are expected to round out their roster, and even he was a bit surprised about what he had heard regarding Knies.
One interesting name who I thought had more of an inside track but may be more of a long shot to this point? Toronto Maple Leafs power forward Matthew Knies. Knies, who has 23 points in 20 games, has not overly impressed the American brass in recent weeks - he has been battling an injury since training camp and just returned to game play - after a hot start to the season, by the sounds of it.
After a blistering start to the season that saw Knies collect 18 points in 14 games, things have cooled down a bit, but part of that has to do with his injury as well as team success. The Maple Leafs have struggled over the last few weeks and Knies has just 1 goal over his last 7 games, as he continues to battle injuries.
Another thing that could go against Knies is that GM Bill Guerin could be looking at veteran, two-way, hybrid forwards who can play anywhere in the lineup like Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck. That wrinkle could make it difficult for players like Knies, Cole Caufield, and even Jake Guentzel to make the cut, according to Di Marco.
By the sounds of things, the Americans could be leaving a lot of talent off the roster in an effort to bring more versatility, veteran experience, and size. Only time will tell if that strategy can get them a gold medal, but for all intents and purposes, Auston Matthews might be the only Maple Leaf representing Team USA in February.
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