Isaac Nootin
Registered User
- Sep 28, 2017
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Clearly the media and Big 10 coaches feel differently, Herb.
LW Matthew Knies - Tri-City Storm, USHL (2021, 57th, TOR)
- Thread starter Pavel Buchnevich
- Start date
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I see a Nino type player. Nothing wrong with that.
Herby
How could Blake have known?
And it seems most people who follow the Gophers seem to agree. Cooley and Faber are just better players.
And If anyone thinks Matthew Knies was a better player in the Big10 this season than Adam Fantilli I just don’t know what to say. Fantilli is somehow going to win the Hobey Baker and not even be nominated for B10 player of the year, makes a ton of sense.
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The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
Herby
How could Blake have known?
That is what I see as well. I think Cooley and Faber are clearly better, and then you can start to have a debate.
And I don't think he is a bad player, by any stretch. But there are a few really really high end guys on Minnesota and Michigan this season.
Bounces R Way
Registered User
I like him fine, just not ever going to be a core piece probably. But with the way teams can overvalue size you never know.
Quality middle 6 contributor, should be good for 15-25 goals a season.
Quality middle 6 contributor, should be good for 15-25 goals a season.
It's not just about points. Fantilli is a hothead and only played 19 conference games, missing at least one or two to suspension. Knies is a leader for Cooley and Snuggerud and I think if he didn't come back for them this year they would have had a much, much harder time settling into college hockey. Knies had the most GWG in conference games.
IMO:
Big Ten POTY: Knies (1st in conf goals, T3rd in conf points, 1st in conf GWG)
Big Ten ROTY: Cooley (T1st in conf points w/Snuggy)
National Rookie of the Year: Fantilli
Best hockey player in the country: Fantilli
Hobey Baker: Fantilli but this one might be closer, with Knies and Farrell in the discussion. Hobey Baker is more than just points or skill. They tend to lean a bit toward players that play more than one year.
leafsfan5
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- Jun 14, 2014
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Yeah the whole reason we love this kid isn't because he's going to be some superstar. We already have the stars, we need the great compliment pieces
If he's a skilled player who can use his size and compliment our stars this is a huge win for us. Something like 20-20 with a good all around game is great, anything more and I'll be pleasantly surprised
TheDoldrums
Registered User
I think Knies game should transition well to the pros. Fantilli obviously has fantastic skills, though I am not sure what to make of him overall as player. Certainly there are higher expectations for him than Knies.
Lacombe is two years older than Knies, Faber one. Lacombe has great size and tools, but has a ten cent head.
I like Faber, and other MN fans expect great things from him… I see goodness, not anything great. Certainly not Knies’s size and strength, though he has better skating. I see Faber being a middle pairing guy, Knies a middle six guy,but a middle six guy with strength, size, and some skill. You can never have too many of them.
I get what people see in Cooley, but have no idea if his game will translate to the pros. He will certainly have to adjust his puck control game once the far bigger, stronger, faster, smarter, and just overall better NHL checkers have a go at him. Rossi is still struggling with the adjustment, and has a somewhat similar game.
I probably shouldn’t but I put Snuggerud and Knies in the same boat. Nice size, strength, offense…need to work on skating, but both look like guys who will be middle sixers for years in the NHL. Snuggerud a better shooter, Knies a better grinder, but both have some offense.
Lacombe is two years older than Knies, Faber one. Lacombe has great size and tools, but has a ten cent head.
I like Faber, and other MN fans expect great things from him… I see goodness, not anything great. Certainly not Knies’s size and strength, though he has better skating. I see Faber being a middle pairing guy, Knies a middle six guy,but a middle six guy with strength, size, and some skill. You can never have too many of them.
I get what people see in Cooley, but have no idea if his game will translate to the pros. He will certainly have to adjust his puck control game once the far bigger, stronger, faster, smarter, and just overall better NHL checkers have a go at him. Rossi is still struggling with the adjustment, and has a somewhat similar game.
I probably shouldn’t but I put Snuggerud and Knies in the same boat. Nice size, strength, offense…need to work on skating, but both look like guys who will be middle sixers for years in the NHL. Snuggerud a better shooter, Knies a better grinder, but both have some offense.
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How many 6’3” 220lb PWFs with his skill level are in the NHL? You only need one hand to count them all.
To get one coming in on a rookie contract for the next few years is super exciting.
I think that’s what’s missing from a lot of the Knies discourse, especially with other fans. You have NHL teams taking guys like Nick Ritchie and Tyler Boucher top 10 in the draft and Tampa trading damn near an entire drafts worth of picks for Jeannot just trying to hit on one because of how valuable that type of player can be.
To get one coming in on a rookie contract for the next few years is super exciting.
I think that’s what’s missing from a lot of the Knies discourse, especially with other fans. You have NHL teams taking guys like Nick Ritchie and Tyler Boucher top 10 in the draft and Tampa trading damn near an entire drafts worth of picks for Jeannot just trying to hit on one because of how valuable that type of player can be.
I like the Oshie comparison as well, if he can keep his engagement levels up, which is something he could improve IMO.
Rossi and Cooley are very different players. Cooley's game is all about skating & transition play - there's a lot of chaos in his game, for better or worse. His lower body still has a lot of maturing to do though, similar to the way Jack Hughes was at 18/19. Rossi plays a very controlled game, and lacks dynamic skating. But he's got already got a very solid build, especially from the waist down.
Like Hughes, I expect Cooley to get bounced around a bit in his first year or so in the NHL before becoming a fairly dominant offensive player. But his body did a lot of maturing this year - he was getting pushed around a lot more in the first half than he was in the second half.
Petes2424
Registered User
- Aug 4, 2005
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It’s likely the best they can hope for. Nino is a much better finisher. Knies is closer to a Justin Abdelkader (coming out of Michigan State) right now. Just a little less physical.
Knies, as it stands, can probably be a good 3rd liner in the NHL right now. He’s actually pretty NHL ready in that regard.
However, IF they have any hopes of him being a Top 6 player on the scoresheet, they will leave him with the Marlies all of next season, and let him develop. Even if they keep him in TO after he signs this season. Assuming he signs.
People need to remember, before his 21 goals this year, the most he scored, even in AAA, was 17 I think it was. At least from Bantam up.
He’s going to need time playing big minutes in the AHL IF they see him as a scoring forward. He does everything else really well. If they don’t see him as a scoring forward, then he may never see the AHL. They’ll just put him in the bottom 6 and hope he can develop into a secondary scorer.
Comparing him to Abdelkader isn’t a knock. He was a really good player for about 5 years. The Leafs need a young player like this. Abdelkader’s body just wore down and Holland gave him a stupid contract, forming all the negative opinions of him.
ITM
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine...
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TheKrebsCycle
Throwing Confetti for Perfetti
Not true he was nearly goal per game in aaa ( 24 goals in 25 games) . Additionally when you are playing 30 or 40 games a year 17 is a pretty respectable scoring rate , especially when it’s accompanied with all the physical gifts . I think the Oshie prediction will prove alot more accurate than the Abdelkader one . I think that’s his floor ( Abdelkader not oshie) .
Herby
How could Blake have known?
It’s not only about points, the points just match the eye test this season on the two players. Fantilli has been pretty good as a two-way center, he’s not elite defensively like Beniers was, but he has played well. He does have a temper but a lot of his missed time was WJC camp related. And getting back to his offense, it’s also fair to consider he hasn’t played with the same caliber player as Knies, but was still more productive by a pretty large margin.
Having seen a lot of the conference this year I think the player of the year should have been a two-horse race between the best offensive player in Fantilli and the best defensive one in Faber. They are the best skilled offensive and skilled defensive players the conference has had in a long time, maybe ever. Nothing against Luke Hughes, he had another nice season and will be a star player in the NHL, but he was not as impactful a player for the Wolverines as Fantilli was, and I don’t think it was particularly close.
Petes2424
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- Aug 4, 2005
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You’re allowed 60 games a year in AAA, minus Nationals in America, but because he didn’t play in Detroit, Boston, etc, he was relegated to playing in tournaments a lot at that level, to play against better competition. He played against mostly 2nd rate AAA teams normally. He wasn’t playing against Belle Tire, Compuware, Honebaked, etc.
Not his fault of course, but there’s a reason the developmental program wasn’t knocking on his door. He should’ve been lighting it up against the teams he was playing against.
His success started when he grew and he took advantage of his opportunities. That said, he’s relied heavily on his physical attributes the last few years. It’s why he was drafted where he was.
That all ends when you get to the National League. For most it ends in the AHL. He’s been smart enough though, to round out his overall game, using his size. Exactly why he might be ready to play in the bottom 6. We’ll find out real quick here.
I think he’s ready physically, but the weakness in his game is finding and creating space. Something you better know how to do, or you will never score in the NHL. Up until now, he’s used his size to score, as 1000 players before him.
It can be developed though. Exactly why I contend he needs at least a full year with the Marlies. They’ll know in that year if he will ever become a scoring winger. He’ll either show signs he’s learning how, or he won’t. A decision they may have already made on him, as his weakness didn’t get any better this season. He’s still been relying on the one thing that doesn’t translate, point wise. His physical abilities.
Here’s how you’ll know. If next season, he makes the team but is playing in the bottom 6.
If that happens, it will be the Leafs admitting they don’t think he’ll ever translate as a scoring winger.
They will 100% have him playing top minutes in the AHL if they do believe he can be.
Still doesn’t mean he can’t be a really good player.
It’s just ridiculous that anyone thinks he’s going to walk into the NHL and just start scoring. As every Leaf fan knows, that’s a real expectation from the fan base.
People need to relax and give the kid a chance to develop, and stop anointing him as some great power forward in waiting. He’s simply never shown that to be the case. Yet!!
TheKrebsCycle
Throwing Confetti for Perfetti
He is a high end prospect and scored at a way higher rate than you had mentioned at aaa ( you guessed 17 whereas in actuality he was nearly goal per game ) . His skating and playmaking both took positive strides this year to go with the physical gifts and above average hockey iq already part of his arsenal . I think you’re really downplaying his upside and find it a pretty ludicrous statement that if he isn’t in the leafs top 6 next year that he is a failure as a prospect /Leafs didn’t develop him properly .
He may miss out on some B1G and National awards because of his teammates or some players over in Michigan but Knies is going to be a good player in the NHL. Great situation to walk into potentially slotting in at LW with Matthews and Marner/Nylander. if he adjusts to the NHL quickly who is to say he's not in the Calder race next season.
He almost single handily got the Gophers back into the championship game last year. The goal with seconds left where he snags it out of the air, plays it down to the ice then roofs it was really nice.
He almost single handily got the Gophers back into the championship game last year. The goal with seconds left where he snags it out of the air, plays it down to the ice then roofs it was really nice.
Peasy
Registered User
I think a lot of people are down playing his abilities in here. "Lacks goal scoring". He finished 6th in the NCAA this year for goal scoring lol.
Justin Abdelkader? Really lol.
I'd be shocked and disappointed if he didnt end up better.
I remember people goin on about how Bunting wouldnt be able to play in the top 6 and look at him...
Knies has all the attributes you need to be a successful top 6 complementary player ala Hyman.
Justin Abdelkader? Really lol.
I'd be shocked and disappointed if he didnt end up better.
I remember people goin on about how Bunting wouldnt be able to play in the top 6 and look at him...
Knies has all the attributes you need to be a successful top 6 complementary player ala Hyman.
Coaches Coroner
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- Mar 12, 2009
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Have you seen him play much or is your focus on friggin BANTAM and AAA hockey coming from just looking at eliteprospects?
