Matthew Knies Presented With Unique Opportunity That Could Really Benefit the Maple Leafs

Although he wasn't selected to represent Team USA at the 4-Nations Face-Off, Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is no stranger to international hockey, playing for Team USA at the World Juniors and the 2022 Olympic Games.

This week, Knies will join Auston Matthews in Plymouth on August 26th and 27th at Team USA's Olympic Selection Camp to prove that he belongs on the roster at the 2026 Olympic Games in February.

Before heading off to Plymouth, Knies caught up with Toronto reporters during a sponsorship event with Tylenol, where he discussed his summer, who he sees replacing Mitch Marner, and what he's looking forward to most about the brief event with Team USA.

Along with Matthews, Knies will be joined by the likes of Patrick Kane, Jack Eichel and Brady Tkachuk, among others, for the two-day event. It's there that Knies is looking to pick up a thing or two that he can add to his game.

Already dubbed a "unicorn" because of his unique combination of size and skill, Knies showed glimpses of the type of player he can be last season. It shouldn't come as a surprise to see Knies become more of an agitator as he has said he tries to model parts of his game after Tom Wilson, and being around someone like Brady Tkachuk for a couple of days will only help him in that area.

Coming off of a 29-goal, 58-point campaign, the 22-year-old will be putting a lot of pressure on himself to begin the season as he not only looks to impress the Team USA brass, but he's also entering the first year of a six-year extension, which he signed with the Leafs back in June.