Toronto Maple Leafs power forward Matthew Knies was praised by new Leafs GM John Chayka, who called him a “really unique player.”
Knies was drafted by the Maple Leafs with the 57th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Since joining the Maple Leafs in 2022-23, Knies has played 240 regular-season games, putting up 67 goals and 160 points. He has also played in 27 playoff games for the team, contributing 8 goals and 14 points in postseason action.
At 23 years old and standing 6’3″ while weighing 232 lbs, Knies is one of the biggest and best young power forwards in the NHL, and he looks like he will be a building block for the Maple Leafs for many years to come. He is a premier goal scorer in the league, and he knows how to throw the body around, so he should be someone the Maple Leafs have slotted into their top six for as long as he’s under contract with the squad.
John Chayka Praises Matthew Knies
The Maple Leafs hired Chayka as the team’s GM and franchise legend Mats Sundin as a senior advisor just over one week ago. The two new executives have a lot of work to do this offseason as they look to rebuild a Maple Leafs roster that missed the playoffs this year for the first time in a decade. Fortunately, they do have some very good players under contract, including Knies.
While Knies was rumored to be shopped at the trade deadline by former GM Brad Treliving, he ultimately stayed put, which is a good thing for Chayka and the new Leafs’ regime as they try to build a winner. Speaking to Luke Fox of Sportsnet in a recent interview, Chayka had nothing but great things to say about Knies, suggesting he has no intention of moving him to another team.
“Knies is a really unique player. I think his blend of size and skating and skill is really, really hard to find. I’m not aware of what happened at the deadline or what previous regimes thought. I think Mats and I are going to go through and evaluate the roster and make some decisions. Ultimately, if you’re making a decision, you’re trying to get better. I think you’d be really hard-pressed to do better than Matthew Knies,” Chayka said.
Matthew Knies Signed a Long-Term Contract With Toronto
Last offseason, Knies committed long-term to the Maple Leafs, signing a six-year, $46.5 million contract to stay in Toronto. He just finished his first season on that deal, so he still has five more years left on it, which will take him until he is 28 years old.
Chaykya and the Maple Leafs are looking for talented players who will help them be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender for many years to come, and Knies certainly qualifies as just that. If the Leafs were smart, they would keep him on the roster and give him big minutes alongside captain Auston Matthews and potential No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna next year as the team looks to bounce back and try to make it back into the postseason mix following a lost season.
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