Leafs' Matthew Knies Addresses His Health and Reveals What's Different For Him This Season
With career highs in almost every category in 2024-25, Matthews Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs explains how so much progress has been made this year.
Matthew Knies seems to be enjoying being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs more than ever this season, despite a recent report that could spell bad news for the team beyond this season.
Knies has been playing so well that Sportsnet's Jason Bukala believes he could be pricing himself out of a contract extension in the offseason, while noting that an offer sheet from another NHL franchise is pretty much a forgone conclusion if he doesn't land an extension with the Leafs before July 1st.
The 22-year-old winger already has 10 more goal than last season, while playing 14 fewer games so far, while also already hitting a new career high in points.
So what's the big difference from last season when Knies struggled with consistency? Knies himself says he's learned to take care of himself much better.
"I feel a lot better, honestly, than I did last year at this time. I think my body's a lot more used to it. I know how to take care of myself better. I still feel refreshed."
That's certainly great news as the Maple Leafs prepare for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and head coach Craig Berube is not only pleased with Knies's increased offence, but his physicality as well.
"He forechecks extremely well. He gets in on top of people, quickly closes and makes contact and wins a lot of those puck battles."
Other than Washington's Tom Wilson and Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk, Knies is the only player in the NHL with 25 goals and more than 150 hits in 2024-25, a feat he accomplished in a recent win over the New York Rangers. Berube said that puts Knies in a rare position.
"He's very unique, in my opinion, with those two stats. There's not a lot of guys that can do what he can do."
Knies is on the last year of his three-year entry-level deal, paying him $925,000 a season. His next contract will eclipse his current one by a very large margin, and the Leafs will need to be careful should the offer sheet prediction hold true.
| POLL | ||
MARS 25 | 3490 ANSWERS Leafs' Matthew Knies Addresses His Health and Reveals What's Different For Him This Season Do you think Matthew Knies will still be with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season? | ||
| Yes | 3119 | 89.4 % |
| No | 227 | 6.5 % |
| Not sure | 144 | 4.1 % |
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