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

[Tufted Titmouse]

Only was last nights game of Knies play but in a game that mattered I am not impressed .. he is slow .. he is not overly physical .. and he does not impose his will .. i think he made da correct call staying in college .. he can't keep up against his own age group .. in AHL or NHL he would get killed .. there are too many dreamers on this site .. not saying he can't develop but you can't play pro hockey anymore if you can't skate .. hopefully he can improve .. it is possible though as he has a good stride length and technique .. his issue are either his edge work and/or leg strength i can't tell for sure until i was on da ice with him but those are fixable .. bottom line not a chance in h*ll he plays in NHL this season

He's 6''3 210lbs as a 19 year old - of course he needs to improve his skating. If he was a good skater with his size and hands he would have been a top 10 pick.

I think he sees NHL ice at the end of Minnesota's season. I think we will have room in our bottom 6 for his tool set. A bad tournament doesn't change the last 2 years.

 

[stickty111]

Only was last nights game of Knies play but in a game that mattered I am not impressed .. he is slow .. he is not overly physical .. and he does not impose his will .. i think he made da correct call staying in college .. he can't keep up against his own age group .. in AHL or NHL he would get killed .. there are too many dreamers on this site .. not saying he can't develop but you can't play pro hockey anymore if you can't skate .. hopefully he can improve .. it is possible though as he has a good stride length and technique .. his issue are either his edge work and/or leg strength i can't tell for sure until i was on da ice with him but those are fixable .. bottom line not a chance in h*ll he plays in NHL this season

You know what, not worth responding to false comments like this. Delete

 

[Mess]

I think there is a ton of overreaction to this tournament. Should one okay WJC really make us undermine everything he did throughout 2021/22?

I think we also have to take into account how much hockey he has played in this calendar year. It’s obvious fatigue is playing a role. The next few months off before NCAA starts is going to be good for him.

Realistically he was ready to play with the Leafs at the end of last season. Every player goes through peaks and valleys.

For the record he played 33 NCAA college games + 5 Olympic games + 5 WJC games. = length of 1/2 and NHL season.

Canada's Mason McTavish played 9 NHL games with Anaheim, 6 in the AHL + 48 games in the OHL + 5 in Olympics and in 5 games in WJC and he has 7 goals and 7 assists and looking to challenge a tournament team record which is 18 points. He was a top 5 pick in the draft, so that may no be fair to Knies a mid 2nd rounder but fatigue shouldn't be a valid reason. IMO

 

[francis246]

For the record he played 33 NCAA college games + 5 Olympic games + 5 WJC games. = length of 1/2 and NHL season.

Canada's Mason McTavish played 9 NHL games with Anaheim, 6 in the AHL + 48 games in the OHL + 5 in Olympics and in 5 games in WJC and he has 7 goals and 7 assists and looking to challenge a tournament team record which is 18 points. He was a top 5 pick in the draft, so that may no be fair to Knies a mid 2nd rounder but fatigue shouldn't be a valid reason. IMO

Fatigue can absolutely be a reason. You can’t compare one persons fitness to another. Also who cares what Mason McTavish accomplished? He’s not a leafs prospect, we’re talking about Knies.

Clearly Knies needs to work on his conditioning. Also what we know about College sports is he was definitely lifting a lot more than McTavish this entire season. So it’s possible they need to find the right program for him so he can maintain performance for longer.

 

[Mess]

Fatigue can absolutely be a reason. You can’t compare one persons fitness to another. Also who cares what Mason McTavish accomplished? He’s not a leafs prospect, we’re talking about Knies.

Clearly Knies needs to work on his conditioning. Also what we know about College sports is he was definitely lifting a lot more than McTavish this entire season. So it’s possible they need to find the right program for him so he can maintain performance for longer.

His college season ended prior to the NHL playoffs beginning, so he hasn't been playing meaningful games since May. He played 5 WJC games in the last 3-4 months.

Where are you getting this "fatique" theory from? Is this from some fitness report you read?

Are you sure you don't mean rust, from not playing as opposed of fatique from overplaying?

 

[weems]

This was some random tournament held in the summer with no regular season lead in.

Many players will just not be in as good of game shape as others.

Not making excuses but Knies is 210lbs and possibly could be someone that plays better as the season goes along and isn't someone that will dominate as much from a pop gun start.

Heck he could have even bulked up in preparation for possibly playing in the NHL this season and thus made him a little slower.

I wouldn't draw too many conclusions on any of the prospects from this years tournament.

 

[Menzinger]

I believe what we're seeing here was lack of confidence and perhaps from expectations and pressure to deliver.

Matthew Knies had a strong season last year at U of Minn and almost won and national championship. That rocketed/secured him at the top of the Leafs prospect list.

Leafs management worked hard trying to convince to leave college and come help the Leafs for the playoffs.. That set lofty expectations for him as an immediate impact player and added pressure to deliver, but Knies himself did not feel ready and decided to stay in school another year and build off of last year.

Now the magnifying glass has been put on him, to be that impact player whenever he steps on the ice, and when he struggles it increases scrutiny as to what is wrong and why isn't he a force in this tournament?

He has played much better then he showed here, and it seemed confidence and pressure impacted his play in this tournament. He seemed to be fighting the puck and certainly not looking to be playing at 100% compete, as his own struggles were hindering him, as he might be getting into his own head now.

I'd offer a slight correction here. They held talks with him prior to him recommitting for a sophomore season with Minnesota. So obviously they were likely considering signing him but that doesn't necessarily mean they were penciling him into the playoff team.

It was likely more along the lines of where do you want to play next year: college vs Marlies

 

[Menzinger]

This was some random tournament held in the summer with no regular season lead in.

Many players will just not be in as good of game shape as others.

Not making excuses but Knies is 210lbs and possibly could be someone that plays better as the season goes along and isn't someone that will dominate as much from a pop gun start.

Heck he could have even bulked up in preparation for possibly playing in the NHL this season and thus made him a little slower.

I wouldn't draw too many conclusions on any of the prospects from this years tournament.

Wouldn't be the first time this has happened to a player. Quite a few younger Leafs over the past few years ran into the bulkup problem too.

 

[DueDiligence]

But imo tracking well to become a potentially great player for the Leafs

Maybe a good player, but not great.

 

[egd27]

It’s typical leafs fans to use a tournament in the middle of august after another weirdly scheduled year to tear a kid down. It’s quite normal for a 19 year old to hit a peak in a season and then hit a low point a few months later

No, it's typical of many Leaf fans to expect their prospects to exceed their current abilities. The list is extremely long

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

No, it's typical of many Leaf fans to expect their prospects to exceed their current abilities. The list is extremely long

Leafs fans have actually better estimated our younger players and prospects over the past half a dozen years than most detractors actually. Who was the last hyped prospect who overtly failed here?

 

[Maplebeasts]

No, it's typical of many Leaf fans to expect their prospects to exceed their current abilities. The list is extremely long

It's hardly a phenomenon localized to one team. Though I guess a guy who cheers for a team that drafted Tyson Jost, Conor Timmins, Justin Barron, Alex Newhook and Martin Kaut would know a thing or two about fanbases over rating their prospects.

 

[egd27]

Leafs fans have actually better estimated our younger players and prospects over the past half a dozen years than most detractors actually. Who was the last hyped prospect who overtly failed here?

In past decade or so there were many fans certain all of these guys were going make an impact
Kenny Ryan
Jesse Blacker
Matt Frattin
Greg McKegg
Stuart Percy
Matt Finn
Jeremy Bracco
Nick Robertson

 

[Stephen]

Wouldn't be the first time this has happened to a player. Quite a few younger Leafs over the past few years ran into the bulkup problem too.

Luke Schenn summer.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

In past decade or so there were many fans certain all of these guys were going make an impact
Kenny Ryan
Jesse Blacker
Matt Frattin
Greg McKegg
Stuart Percy
Matt Finn
Jeremy Bracco
Nick Robertson

All of those guys save Robertson are pre-2016. Well before the regime change and more focus on development. Robertson also hasn’t failed yet. He’s not even 21 yet.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I think we were likely expecting Knies to be a top 25 scorer in this tournament. Perhaps that was too high, and unfair but the expectations for Leafs top prospect were high.

There were 9 X USA forwards that finished with more or equal points to Knies.

You are really enjoying this aren't you? Just go enjoy summer you doomer.

 

[egd27]

All of those guys save Robertson are pre-2016. Well before the regime change and more focus on development. Robertson also hasn’t failed yet. He’s not even 21 yet.

Of course they are pre-2016, it wouldn't be make much sense to judge the "careers" of all of the guys that are still prospects. Hell, I threw in Robertson (who was going to be a Top 6 winger for the past two years) and you called on me on that one citing he was too young.

And the fact that the organization was weak on development, should have been more reason not to expect all of these guys to be stars.

 

[Mess]

This was some random tournament held in the summer with no regular season lead in.

Many players will just not be in as good of game shape as others.

Not making excuses but Knies is 210lbs and possibly could be someone that plays better as the season goes along and isn't someone that will dominate as much from a pop gun start.

Heck he could have even bulked up in preparation for possibly playing in the NHL this season and thus made him a little slower.

I wouldn't draw too many conclusions on any of the prospects from this years tournament.

What conclusions can we draw from the prospects having good tournaments?

 

[Martin Skoula]

All of those guys save Robertson are pre-2016. Well before the regime change and more focus on development. Robertson also hasn’t failed yet. He’s not even 21 yet.

God those Leafs fans are so stupid for not being able to predict Percy would get several concussions in a short span or Finn would get injured enough to completely lose his skating. How was it not obvious to everyone that Bracco was forcing teenagers to do cocaine as a hazing ritual, you could obviously tell by the way he played.

It's weird how we keep overrating our mid-tier prospects but half the league's middle-6s/bottom-4s seem to be made entirely of former Leaf prospects. Maybe this is finally the year the rest of the league realizes how bad they are and stop fighting eachother for our scraps on the waiver wire.

 

[Leaf Fans]

In past decade or so there were many fans certain all of these guys were going make an impact
Kenny Ryan
Jesse Blacker
Matt Frattin
Greg McKegg
Stuart Percy
Matt Finn
Jeremy Bracco
Nick Robertson

Yup, Fans were excited when they were drafted, but as they developed or failed to develop opinions changed commensurately. Just like fans of any other team.

What conclusions can we draw from the prospects having good tournaments?

We can conclude that they are good prospects having good tournaments.

 

[weems]

What conclusions can we draw from the prospects having good tournaments?

I think some prospects that have very good tournaments should definitely have their stock rise but if someone doesn't play well for 4-5 games I also don't think certain prospects should have major concerns placed around them.

For instance, I would say that Hirvonen has had a good tournament and definitely better than Knies. I doubt professional scouts that had Knies rated much higher overall than Hirvonen are going to all the sudden say Hirvonen is the better prospect after 5 games and a few against weak competition.

You can go thru all the best players in the league and find 5-7 game stretch's where they don't play well for whatever reason.

 

[Stephen]

I think some prospects that have very good tournaments should definitely have their stock rise but if someone doesn't play well for 4-5 games I also don't think certain prospects should have major concerns placed around them.

For instance, I would say that Hirvonen has had a good tournament and definitely better than Knies. I doubt professional scouts that had Knies rated much higher overall than Hirvonen are going to all the sudden say Hirvonen is the better prospect after 5 games and a few against weak competition.

You can go thru all the best players in the league and find 5-7 game stretch's where they don't play well for whatever reason.

I think the nature of this weird WJC makeup tournament should be taken with a grain of salt for better or worse because typically this tournament falls in the mid point of a season when everybody's firing on all cylinders. It's almost like a glorified prospect tournament in the summer.

 

[Stephen]

What conclusions can we draw from the prospects having good tournaments?

I don't think there's any conclusions that can be definitively drawn based on one tournament or season, but more like a snap shot in time and generally what you feel a player will become.

I keep thinking of the old saying "counting your chickens before they hatch." Especially with mid rounders. Prospects like Garrett Sparks and Jeremy Bracco even managed to become fairly dominant AHL players before face planting as NHL capable players. So you never really know until they make it.

 

[TheScandal89]

In past decade or so there were many fans certain all of these guys were going make an impact
Kenny Ryan
Jesse Blacker
Matt Frattin
Greg McKegg
Stuart Percy
Matt Finn
Jeremy Bracco
Nick Robertson

Don't forget Brad Ross lol its really amazing how bad our 2nd round picks have been over the past 20 years, Robertson, Knies and Hirovnen look pretty decent still, idk much about Minten. I think to date Kulemin or Stajan would be the best 2nd since 2000

We just can't hit on those 2nd/3rd rounders, really we can't pick impact players outside of our top 10 picked players. Verhaghe is one of the best picks we had but he probably had better fortune developing in Tampas system.

We have drafted a lot of serviceable players over the years in later rounds like Gunnarson, Stralman, Stalberg, Kulemin, etcbut no one you could really call a star.

 

[ULF_55]

Luke Schenn summer.

Already mentioned that a few days ago.

We had this same discussion about 15 years ago.

It should never be about bulking up unless we're talking about a 4th liner.