"I'm a bigger player": Matthew Knies makes his thoughts on his impact in Maple Leafs' power play extremely clear

By Mike Whitaker

Modified Nov 07, 2024 03:44 GMT

Having a big body to obstruct the opposition goaltender's vision is a must in professional hockey, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are fortunate to boast exactly that.

Second-year forward Matthew Knies makes a living by making life for opposition goaltenders a nightmare thanks to his large frame. And as he put it in an interview with TSN published on Nov. 7, it's something that he enjoys doing.

“I’m a bigger player, so I like to take the goalie’s eyes and, you know, just make plays down there," he said. "Let the skill guys be on the outside and make those plays. They make incredible plays, so I just have to put my stick in a good area, and I’m sure they can find me.”

His net-front presence has paid off since he joined the top unit of Toronto's power play. They've been successful on four of their last nine opportunities with an opposition player in the penalty box.

And his efforts are being noticed by his teammates.

"We've been talking about things we can improve on, and traffic and shots are in that conversation," said defenseman Morgan Rielly. "He played a big role in that."

Meanwhile, having his confidence grow will only serve to benefit the Leafs moving forward.

"I get more confident in each game as the season goes on," said Knies, who has played on the top line since Day 1 of training camp. "Obviously, I'm playing with some incredible players so, yeah, it just gives me confidence with the puck. And getting to see those minutes and those opportunities, I'm very fortunate for it. So, I just got to keep working and keep pushing to kind of stay in that spot."

Knies and the Maple Leafs are next in action against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday at Scotiabank Arena.

Matthew Knies is in his second full season with the Maple Leafs

Knies, who was selected with the 57th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Leafs, played collegiately for the University of Minnesota.

He got his feet wet at the NHL level late in the 2022-23 season, appearing in three regular-season games and then seven postseason games with the Leafs.

His first full NHL season was the 2023-24 campaign, scoring 15 goals with 20 assists as a rookie. He also added a pair of goals along with an assist during Toronto's opening-round Stanley Cup Playoff series loss to the rival Boston Bruins.