Prospect Info: 2021 2nd Rd Pick (#57 OA) - Matthew Knies (LW) - Tri-City (USHL)

[JT AM da real deal]

Maybe it comes down to Leafs giving him a wage guarantee of $850,000 per year for next 3 years .. no minors salary .. so if next year he is on Marlies he makes $850,000 per .. i don't know his family situation .. if they are loaded then i expect he will go back to school

 

[nuck]

It doesn't make sense that the Leafs would be trying to convince Matthew Knies that he's ready to make their NHL team. I think it should be the other way around.

I don't think they can practically promise him a roster spot, do you?

It was a joke. They just got smoked by a team with a -61 goal differential so he will sign because he knows he can crack the lineup.

 

[kerk]

Maybe it comes down to Leafs giving him a wage guarantee of $850,000 per year for next 3 years .. no minors salary .. so if next year he is on Marlies he makes $850,000 per .. i don't know his family situation .. if they are loaded then i expect he will go back to school

i believe ELCs are guaranteed 2-way contracts

 

[fahad203]

Maybe it comes down to Leafs giving him a wage guarantee of $850,000 per year for next 3 years .. no minors salary .. so if next year he is on Marlies he makes $850,000 per .. i don't know his family situation .. if they are loaded then i expect he will go back to school

Man, I will sell my house for 850k and pay the leafs that amount to one game in NHL and Leafs

 

[Fogelhund]

Maybe it comes down to Leafs giving him a wage guarantee of $850,000 per year for next 3 years .. no minors salary .. so if next year he is on Marlies he makes $850,000 per .. i don't know his family situation .. if they are loaded then i expect he will go back to school

"He’s also incredibly bright, which makes sense, given he is the son of an aerospace engineer and a doctor."

Who is the Maple Leafs' newest Arizona kid? Meet Matthew Knies, a power forward in the making

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Knies with their first pick (57th overall) of this past weekend's NHL Entry Draft.

theathletic.com

I might guess his family isn't poor, and they value education.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Man, I will sell my house for 850k and pay the leafs that amount to one game in NHL and Leafs

Yes lots of fans like you .. there are also many of us who have shelled out 300K+ over course of our kids minor and junior careers .. and you have 2 kids like me it is quite an expensive game to play at highest levels .. that is one of reasons many of kids who come up their parents have to be multi millionaires

 

[fahad203]

Yes lots of fans like you .. there are also many of us who have shelled out 300K+ over course of our kids minor and junior careers .. and you have 2 kids like me it is quite an expensive game to play at highest levels .. that is one of reasons many of kids who come up their parents have to be multi millionaires

Yeah man. Hence why you see a rise in soccer

Equipment alone for hockey parents can cost you so much. Then power skating courses, Nik Borschevky's clinic

 

[ULF_55]

Maybe it comes down to Leafs giving him a wage guarantee of $850,000 per year for next 3 years .. no minors salary .. so if next year he is on Marlies he makes $850,000 per .. i don't know his family situation .. if they are loaded then i expect he will go back to school

Thank You - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Thank you for the amazing 9 years

www.capfriendly.com

Players younger than 25 years of age as of September 15 during the year of their first NHL contract must sign an entry-level contract which have set limitations - all entry-level contracts are two-way contracts and the maximum allowable salary for players drafted until 2022 is $925,000.

The length of the entry-level contract is also dependent on the player’s age:

• 18-21 years of age: 3 years
• 22-23 years of age: 2 years
• 24 years of age: 1 year

Entry-level contracts can still include signing and performance bonuses. Signing bonuses may not exceed 10 percent of the contract’s total compensation, and is paid to players annually. Performance bonuses for entry-level contracts, that are paid by the team and count against the salary cap cannot exceed a maximum of $2,850,000. Performance Bonuses are broken into 2 categories: Schedule A and Schedule B. Schedule A Bonuses may not exceed $212,500 per individual bonus, and $850,000 in total. There are two types of Schedule B Bonuses. League-wide award/trophy bonuses that are paid by the league and are not captured within the actual entry-level contract signed by the player, and player & club agreed upon bonuses, of which the maximum is $2million per season.

I know NHL ELC had a $70k limit, which I do not believe is negotiable. Maybe it has gone up, but it won't be by much.
Schedule A bonuses might be achievable, but he'd have to play in the NHL for those. $212k each maximum of 4.

 

[Twine Tickler]

"He’s also incredibly bright, which makes sense, given he is the son of an aerospace engineer and a doctor."

Who is the Maple Leafs' newest Arizona kid? Meet Matthew Knies, a power forward in the making

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Knies with their first pick (57th overall) of this past weekend's NHL Entry Draft.

theathletic.com

I might guess his family isn't poor, and they value education.

For what it is worth I know of a player who went to the University of Minnesota and was drafted into the NHL from the BCHL. His family was extremely well off and valued education in the same way you'd expect most successful parents.

As part of his commitment to the University to Minnesota it was negotiated to be a lifetime scholarship as the player was already drafted into the NHL and would likely want to pursue that career prior to the 4 years of education being completed. The player's career was cut short due to injury and he returned to Minnesota to finish his education.

I assume most NHL drafted NCAA players would have this same clause written into their commitments as the competition to acquire those players is so high. Matthew Knies may have been selected in the second round, whereas the player I am referring to was selected in the late 1st. So potentially there could be an argument made that Matthew was not given this luxury. But my suspicion is that he was, as he was still a shoe in NHL prospect and would have had many schools going after his services

 

[Mess]

Aren't they also losing most of their top D?

The big question around Matthew Knies right now is, will he sign with the Leafs now, or will he sign with the Leafs later? And a lot of Leafs fans are going back and forth on the idea. You know, does it make sense for him to join the team now and potentially be a top-six option, maybe? Or does he go back, and you'll go back for another run at a championship? And that's something that's actually been mentioned, is that the majority of Matthew Knies' team in college-- they're all returning. And perhaps it's the whole idea of "unfinished business," you know?

Maybe the Leafs could draft Dman Ryan Chesley with their 1st round pick in 2022 and then watch him join the Minnesota defense next year along with Matt Knies and have 2 players competing for a national title also boosted by young star Logan Cooley who will be a top 10 pick in this upcoming draft and committed to University of Minnesota Golden Gophers .

 

[ER89]

Yes lots of fans like you .. there are also many of us who have shelled out 300K+ over course of our kids minor and junior careers .. and you have 2 kids like me it is quite an expensive game to play at highest levels .. that is one of reasons many of kids who come up their parents have to be multi millionaires

Do you see that changing or is it getting more expensive to play now? Also good call on kase. Unfortunate though. I know you took heat for it lol.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

"He’s also incredibly bright, which makes sense, given he is the son of an aerospace engineer and a doctor."

Who is the Maple Leafs' newest Arizona kid? Meet Matthew Knies, a power forward in the making

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Knies with their first pick (57th overall) of this past weekend's NHL Entry Draft.

theathletic.com

I might guess his family isn't poor, and they value education.

Is two years of an unfinished degree better than one? Lots of guys go back later in life, or finish degrees in the offseason. The only thing you miss out on is the "college experience", but I would take 850k/year over that.

 

[MNState0fHockey]

Aren't they also losing most of their top D?

Faber already announced he is coming back and the rumor is that Ryan Johnson is leaning that way. Not sure about Jackson LaCombe. They have Ryan Chesley and Luke Mittelstadt coming in next year, who are both highly touted. They have an absolutely loaded forward class coming in next season though. Minnesota should be the favorite to win the NCAA title next year, but one-and-done tourneys are crap shoots, so you never know.

 

[Fogelhund]

Faber already announced he is coming back and the rumor is that Ryan Johnson is leaning that way. Not sure about Jackson LaCombe. They have Ryan Chesley and Luke Mittelstadt coming in next year, who are both highly touted. They have an absolutely loaded forward class coming in next season though. Minnesota should be the favorite to win the NCAA title next year, but one-and-done tourneys are crap shoots, so you never know.

Thanks. You read things on the internet, and it's been repeated a few times that players are leaving... clearly you know more than what I've read so far.

 

[CanHeDoIt99]

They did the exact same thing with Nick Robertson in the bubble and I’m not sure I see the value added to the experience. Promoted a recent second rounder who had a breakout D+1 year, gave him a little cameo, then held him back from the WJC’s and the chance to dominate players of his age group. He’s been working with NHLers and has great habits but is still quite a ways away from his NHL dream.

It’s all fun and games when you’re the new toy, but the next steps are not always clear.

Robertson's situation is a bit unique in my opinion. He's capable of being a full-time NHLer right now (PPG at 20 in the AHL is very, very good, the Leafs just have a glut of players frankly). He ran into injuries - probably would have been a full-time NHLer sooner if he didn't have so many fluke injuries, just hasn't had the minutes the team would want for him over the last 2 years because of it.

An additional year in college will of course not hurt Knies, but I don't think playing in the AHL next year would hurt him too (and that's assuming he doesn't make a strong transition right away).

Don't think there is harm one way or another. If he wants to go back to school, he absolutely should.

 

[Fogelhund]

Robertson's situation is a bit unique in my opinion. He's capable of being a full-time NHLer right now (PPG at 20 in the AHL is very, very good, the Leafs just have a glut of players frankly). He ran into injuries - probably would have been a full-time NHLer sooner if he didn't have so many fluke injuries, just hasn't had the minutes the team would want for him over the last 2 years because of it.

An additional year in college will of course not hurt Knies, but I don't think playing in the AHL next year would hurt him too (and that's assuming he doesn't make a strong transition right away).

Don't think there is harm one way or another. If he wants to go back to school, he absolutely should.

I think the other side is team balance. Robertson is small skill... and we have that already. The team needed more balance to be the most effective. Once Robertson rounds his defensive game, and has matured to the point he is way too good to be in the AHL, then he gets his chance.

PPG at his age is Very Good... but it's likely going to be a situation where he really begins to dominate at that level, before he becomes a Leaf. Where he can do more.. play both sides of the puck, puts on some strength, maybe even plays some PK.

But he's going to be a player at some point, no need to rush things.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Do you see that changing or is it getting more expensive to play now? Also good call on kase. Unfortunate though. I know you took heat for it lol.

I have lost touch with hockey for past 2.5 years .. i used to go to Leaf and marlie games, go to minor hockey/junior rinks on nights when i wasn't at marlie or a leaf game .. all i can do now is buy the junior and nhl packages and watch on TV .. you really can't see everything to fully get things .. only reason i knew about kase was one of my friends from back when my son was with Leaf org works in mlse sports science group and he also still works on my wonky left knee .. i hope Kase comes back and is rid of his double vision and headaches .. what terrible way to end a career for anyone .. i have no idea what things are costing today but I am guessing with inflation they are likely much more than 10 years ago .. if not then my guess is game will become even more of a RICH mans game .. though sponsorships will always be there and get great kids like Mitch over da hump

 

[29Potvin]

If I was the kid I would stay in school and let this season playout, see where the team is after the PO.
If we get bounced in the first round and they clean house/move a core player its not something I would want my top prospect around.
And really what guarantee could KD make the kid unless he was given some sort of vote of confidence that he will be back next season.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

If I was the kid I would stay in school and let this season playout, see where the team is after the PO.
If we get bounced in the first round and they clean house/move a core player its not something I would want my top prospect around.
And really what guarantee could KD make the kid unless he was given some sort of vote of confidence that he will be back next season.

The incentive for him to sign now is he burns a year of his ELC. He either signs now and stays with the team or he will stay in college next year. He isn't going to sit at home for 3 months and then sign and delay his ELC.

 

[Tak7]

They did the exact same thing with Nick Robertson in the bubble and I’m not sure I see the value added to the experience. Promoted a recent second rounder who had a breakout D+1 year, gave him a little cameo, then held him back from the WJC’s and the chance to dominate players of his age group. He’s been working with NHLers and has great habits but is still quite a ways away from his NHL dream.

It’s all fun and games when you’re the new toy, but the next steps are not always clear.

Robertson's been derailed heavily by injuries.
Not by being "rushed".

 

[Mess]

The incentive for him to sign now is he burns a year of his ELC. He either signs now and stays with the team or he will stay in college next year. He isn't going to sit at home for 3 months and then sign and delay his ELC.

Devils advocate would suggest that Leafs shouldn't be in such a hurry to burn a year off ELC years as they're the best cost controllabe years with a rookie cap on them, and contending teams need cheap contracts with higher contributing players to be successful in a cap era.

 

[Americanadian]

I think the smart option for him and the team is to let him go back.

I want him to sign just to bring some excitement to the team.

 

[meefer]

I have lost touch with hockey for past 2.5 years .. i used to go to Leaf and marlie games, go to minor hockey/junior rinks on nights when i wasn't at marlie or a leaf game .. all i can do now is buy the junior and nhl packages and watch on TV .. you really can't see everything to fully get things .. only reason i knew about kase was one of my friends from back when my son was with Leaf org works in mlse sports science group and he also still works on my wonky left knee .. i hope Kase comes back and is rid of his double vision and headaches .. what terrible way to end a career for anyone .. i have no idea what things are costing today but I am guessing with inflation they are likely much more than 10 years ago .. if not then my guess is game will become even more of a RICH mans game .. though sponsorships will always be there and get great kids like Mitch over da hump

Not just hockey.

 

[Stephen]

Robertson's been derailed heavily by injuries.
Not by being "rushed".

I’m not suggesting Robertson’s been derailed by being brought on too early, just that it’s a largely pointless exercise. He scored a goal in the bubble but then they scratched him in the elimination game having pumped his tires for the whole training camp back. It’s just an impatient, new toy approach.

 

[Peasy]

Devils advocate would suggest that Leafs shouldn't be in such a hurry to burn a year off ELC years as they're the best cost controllabe years with a rookie cap on them, and contending teams need cheap contracts with higher contributing players to be successful in a cap era.

This has always been my thought. I have no clue why management wants to bring him over so quickly... You wait till next year he gets another year to develop in college and you save a year on his elc. What's the point of burning a year off his elc this season when he likely wouldn't even play. He will have a much better opportunity at the end of next season when he has another year of development and the leafs lose mikh, maybe kerfoot, etc.

When I first heard about the leafs wanting to bring him over I thought it was a narrative being pushed by the media but now its clear the leafs actually did want this... It's strange, I fail to see the logic in it.