LW Matthew Knies - Tri-City Storm, USHL (2021, 57th, TOR)

[3 Minute Minor]

I feel like I never heard someone compare a prospect to an NHL player "stylistically" but mean in as in "He plays nothing like him" until Jeff O'Neil said it on a Sportsnet broadcast after he "watched a clip"

 

[Namikaze Minato]

I feel like I never heard someone compare a prospect to an NHL player "stylistically" but mean in as in "He plays nothing like him" until Jeff O'Neil said it on a Sportsnet broadcast after he "watched a clip"

I'll be honest I'm not following your sentence too well but literally every draft I've ever watched (since maybe 2003?) has had stylistic comparisons to current NHL players but also O'Neill is actually on TSN not sportsnet, small detail just a correction on that point.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

I'll be honest I'm not following your sentence too well but literally every draft I've ever watched (since maybe 2003?) has had stylistic comparisons to current NHL players but also O'Neill is actually on TSN not sportsnet, small detail just a correction on that point.

I've never seen an NHL draft say "This player compares to Auston Matthews. Not in terms of goal scoring or skill level, just stylistically." It wouldn't even be a comparison at that point.

That's pretty much exactly what Jeff O'Neal did on the TVA Sports broadcast a few weeks ago.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

You've never played Eastside Hockey Manager and have a scouting report read 'future 3rd line center... a poor man's Sidney Crosby'?

 

[Peasy]

I've never seen an NHL draft say "This player compares to Auston Matthews. Not in terms of goal scoring or skill level, just stylistically." It wouldn't even be a comparison at that point.

That's pretty much exactly what Jeff O'Neal did on the TVA Sports broadcast a few weeks ago.

His board play and take away ability is very similar to Matthews' and how he does it though. He does look like Matthews in that regard.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

I've never seen an NHL draft say "This player compares to Auston Matthews. Not in terms of goal scoring or skill level, just stylistically." It wouldn't even be a comparison at that point.

That's pretty much exactly what Jeff O'Neal did on the TVA Sports broadcast a few weeks ago.

I mean heres just the top 5 picks in 2014 but each one of them has a comparable from TSN. Ekblad gets Seabrook, Rienhart gets Zetterberg, Draisaitl gets Thornton, etc.

Is this not what you mean or are we talking about different things here?

 

[CycloneSweep]

I've never seen an NHL draft say "This player compares to Auston Matthews. Not in terms of goal scoring or skill level, just stylistically." It wouldn't even be a comparison at that point.

That's pretty much exactly what Jeff O'Neal did on the TVA Sports broadcast a few weeks ago.

I mean for the longest time Oilers fans saw a lot of Kopitar/Thornton in Draisaitl based on how they play the game. A player can play a style that reminds you of certain players, but that doesn't mean you are comparing them directly skill level.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

I mean heres just the top 5 picks in 2014 but each one of them has a comparable from TSN. Ekblad gets Seabrook, Rienhart gets Zetterberg, Draisaitl gets Thornton, etc.

Is this not what you mean or are we talking about different things here?

No I've seen NHL comparisons before.

What I saw Geoff O'Neil say on ESPN was that Matthew Knies compared to Matthews "stylistically" and then it got repeated a few times in here now.

But then people are doing this:

His board play and take away ability is very similar to Matthews' and how he does it though. He does look like Matthews in that regard.

Like if you compare a player to Auston Matthews "stylistically" ain't nobody thinking about boardplay battles. You would expect an exceptional goal scorer. If you compare a player "stylistically" to Patrice Bergeron you're not going to expect a french Canadian capable of playing with a punctured lung, you're going to expect an exceptional two-way center.

6'3" 205lbs (depending on your source) left shot fwds from Arizona is pretty much where the comparison starts & ends. So like I said in my original post on this subject, it's weird how a few people have made this stylistic comparison only to clarify that they meant the players style of player is almost in no way comparable to the comparison.

You can kind of pick out who is simply quoting what Jeffe Nealdog said on TheScore when they make that comparison

 

[Namikaze Minato]

No I've seen NHL comparisons before.

What I saw Geoff O'Neil say on ESPN was that Matthew Knies compared to Matthews "stylistically" and then it got repeated a few times in here now.

But then people are doing this:



Like if you compare a player to Auston Matthews "stylistically" ain't nobody thinking about boardplay battles. You would expect an exceptional goal scorer. If you compare a player "stylistically" to Patrice Bergeron you're not going to expect a french Canadian capable of playing with a punctured lung, you're going to expect an exceptional two-way center.

6'3" 205lbs (depending on your source) left shot fwds from Arizona is pretty much where the comparison starts & ends. So like I said in my original post on this subject, it's weird how a few people have made this stylistic comparison only to clarify that they meant the players style of player is almost in no way comparable to the comparison.

You can kind of pick out who is simply quoting what Jeffe Nealdog said on TheScore when they make that comparison

Oh okay i definitely misunderstood the assignment then haha, my bad.

 

[ToDavid]

People are getting crazy over Knies potentially going back next year. He was a late 2nd out of the USHL and just finished his freshman year. Him signing now would make him more of an exception than anything else.

I’m pumped to see what he can do but it’s not like this guy is going to come in and win the conn smythe.

 

[MMC]

 

[Peasy]

Good, give him another year to really be the guy.

 

[Orfieus]

Can USHL players play in the NHL preseason?

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Can USHL players play in the NHL preseason?

i don't think so; the USHL is a strictly amateur league from a quick google search, which makes every ushl player elligible for the NCAA

 

[57special]

That's the smart thing for both the Leafs, and Knies. The Gophers should have a really good team next year.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Should probably stay 2 more just to be safe. And a 4th wouldn't hurt either.

 

[HuGort]

I don't know Knies that well. Who would you pick on your team Knies or Cutter Gauthier?

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I don't know Knies that well. Who would you pick on your team Knies or Cutter Gauthier?

Now, or in five years after they've developed? Definitely Knies at the moment. Gauthier has a higher ceiling and plays a different role, so it's hard to compare.

 

[HuGort]

Now, or in five years after they've developed? Definitely Knies at the moment. Gauthier has a higher ceiling and plays a different role, so it's hard to compare.

Now I guess. Was thinking about '22 draft

 

[S E P H]

Good for Knies not pulling a Tyson Jost and wanting to be supersaturated in skill. He could be one of the best players in the entire NCAA next season.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Now I guess. Was thinking about '22 draft

Knies was a 2021 draft pick though. I’d put them at around equal from a value perspective at the moment, I’m sure that’ll change as the years go on.

 

[HuGort]

Now, or in five years after they've developed? Definitely Knies at the moment. Gauthier has a higher ceiling and plays a different role, so it's hard to compare.

Like for Habs to trade up from Flames pick and draft Cutter G.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Like for Habs to trade up from Flames pick and draft Cutter G.

A Pacioretti replacement - would be a great fit, and it's not impossible at all if the Flames lose early enough. I'd like Buffalo to be able to take him with the Knights 1st too, but I don't see our GM trading up.

I feel like he's destined to go in the 12-16, so he's probably out of the question for playoffs teams unless they trade up.

 

[MNRube]

Cooley, Knies, Faber, Lucius etc
….Gophers haven’t had talent like this in a long time

 

[93LEAFS]

Cooley, Knies, Faber, Lucius etc
….Gophers haven’t had talent like this in a long time

Outside of Mittelstadt, they had a big lull in pulling in top kids since that Okposo, E. Johnson and Wheeler team, plus Kessel the year prior. Cooley has to be their biggest recruiting get since at least Okposo, and arguably since Kessel and E. Johnson. It seemed like the BC, BU, Michigan, and NoDak have been the teams pulling in the top kids the last decade or so.