After his NHL debut, does Matthew Knies look ready for the playoffs for the Maple Leafs?

SUNRISE, Fla. — After a whirlwind 72 hours or so, Matthew Knies could be forgiven for not having a strong NHL debut.

Following what he called a “devastating” loss in overtime of the NCAA Championship final Saturday with the University of Minnesota, the Leafs’ best prospect wanted to be beside his Golden Gopher teammates on a flight from Tampa, where the Frozen Four was being held, back to Minnesota late Saturday evening. After listening to the opinions of those close to him, Knies signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Leafs and then boarded a flight returning to Florida on Sunday to begin life as a pro with various medical tests. He still had tests to complete before his debut against the Florida Panthers, meaning the only moments he had to rest before the game were by himself in a car, shuttling from appointment to appointment. He fielded texts from friends and former coaches telling him not to be afraid, not to shy away and to trust his instincts. Knies has yet to get a practice or a morning skate in.

“I couldn’t take my mind off having my debut. It was pretty chaotic,” Knies said.

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe pulled Knies aside for a brief conversation before warmups only to recognize Knies was still having conversations with doctors.

“You can’t just show up and play in the NHL. There’s a lot of hoops to jump through in terms of the medical process that is normally done in training camp. He had to go through all that sort of stuff today and travel a good distance to get it done as well,” Keefe said. “Not an easy day for him.”

So, yeah, it didn’t feel like just any debut for another Leafs prospect. And the fact that the Leafs likely had to sign and dress an amateur goalie as a backup just to wedge their 2021 second-round pick and Hobey Baker Award finalist into the lineup for a few games only heightened anticipation around his debut. That the Leafs were so insistent on getting Knies into the lineup speaks to the interest they may have in getting him enough playing time so he feels comfortable in the playoffs.

In the minutes before his first media availability as a Leaf, Knies was still getting instructions from staff members on the postgame process among other team activities that need to be completed. He tapped a coffee cup with a Leafs logo on it as the adrenaline continued to flow through him in that aforementioned media availability.

But all along Monday, as he walked through a completely unfamiliar rink, meeting dozens of people he never would have met before, he did so with a smile on his face and his chest puffed out. Monday’s tight 2-1 overtime win over the Florida Panthers had the look and feel of a playoff game, with the Panthers desperate for a win to clinch a spot in the postseason.

That’s why it felt slightly risky putting Knies on the ice for his NHL debut in a game of this kind of intensity. Keefe would have understood the risks, too. But after the win, it was hard to detect a trace of concern from Keefe about Knies’ aforementioned instincts he displayed in an energetic NHL debut.

“To see (Knies) in the NHL, in what was really a playoff-calibre game tonight, in terms of intensity and competitiveness and urgency of every play, to see it live, he looked like a guy who was comfortable despite clearly not being comfortable,” Keefe said.

So, after Knies’ first game resembled a playoff game, did his debut present any indication of whether he can make a difference in what could be a franchise-altering series against the Tampa Bay Lightning beginning next week?

Leading into his debut, Maple Leafs assistant GM of player development Hayley Wickenheiser felt his game at the college level looked like a pro game “because he plays in a lot of straight lines and he imposes his will physically all over the ice.”

While the development staff wanted him to continue to improve his speed and use crossovers to find different areas of the ice, it was that physicality that the Leafs were impressed by. Against the Panthers, he showed glimpses of that physicality. It’s that kind of play that will be necessary for Knies to crack the Leafs’ playoff lineup.

It took Knies some time to get into the game. His first shift was on the second power-play unit and saw him make one quick pass, nothing more.

But it was on his shift when he won a puck battle along the wall against Marc Staal that he truly showed the kind of moxie that could make a difference against Tampa Bay: He used his frame and his hands behind the net and didn’t back down, maintaining possession against a bona fide NHL veteran.

That shift seemed to earn some trust from Keefe: Late in the first period, Knies was sent over the boards for a shift with Auston Matthews and the Leafs had a shot ring off the post. He was then double-shifted on his regular line, where he, again, used his stick in an effective manner.

All in all, Knies logged 13:09 TOI, good for ninth among the Leafs’ 11 forwards. He had one shift on the team’s second power-play unit, no shots on goal and just 31 five-on-five percent expected goals. Though, it’s worth noting that every Leafs forward outside of the three on the top line were below 50 percent expected goals.

Big picture, playing for the majority of the game alongside Noel Acciari and Alex Kerfoot, it felt like it was the little plays Knies made that stuck out in the absence of any scoring opportunities.

“I thought the pace didn’t faze (Knies) at all,” Keefe said.

It felt like Knies was more mobile than anticipated, circling the neutral zone and looking for open ice to call for a pass from the Leafs defencemen. His agility with his stick was impressive, as he batted down a puck to maintain possession.

Again, it goes without saying that Knies was playing in his first NHL game and it’s difficult to make sweeping assumptions about his future off one game. But in the short term, it’s clear Knies can win pucks in battles. The swagger that is necessary for any NHL rookie to show was evident when Knies willingly got on his horse and took on challenges along the boards.

His shift midway through the second period, in which he struggled to maintain control of the puck in the defensive zone ahead of two Panthers shots on goal, is one he’d probably like to forget. Knies has the skill to keep the puck on his stick, manoeuvre around the opposition and make deft, short passes. Those kinds of plays might lead to scoring chances if he’s lining up alongside skilled players who can read and anticipate his movement. But his ability to get that control quickly is a work in progress. These are the kind of turnovers in the defensive zone that could be the difference in a playoff series.

And they’re the kind of turnovers that may cause Keefe to tighten his leash on his newest player.

“He made some smart plays with the puck. There were a couple of mistakes out there, but some mistakes are good because you can learn through that and adjust your game, which he did,” Keefe said.

Panthers centre Nick Cousins exposed Knies’ lack of foot speed as he barrelled by the rookie midway through the second period, easily gaining the offensive zone. If Knies is going to use his hefty frame to neutralize the opposition, he’s going to have to pick his spots more effectively. How well he can read an NHL game, which he did in fits and spurts against the Panthers, could go a long way to keeping him in a lineup against Tampa Bay.

Knies’ size is evident: He sustained a hit from heavy Panthers defenceman Radko Gudas and kept his footing while Gudas took a tumble. By the same token, his welcome to the NHL moment might have come late in the second period when he took a heavy hit behind the Panthers goal from Aaron Ekblad. On that note, Knies took his fair share of heavy hits, but he stayed composed, a sign of the confidence he would need in the postseason.

In the third period, Knies’ ice time dwindled to just five shifts and 3:48, the lowest of his three periods. But Knies won plenty of pats on the back from the Leafs bench after blocking a shot early in the third period as the Panthers were starting to grow more comfortable in the offensive zone.

Knies spent time on the bench listening to Matthews, the same person he leaned on for advice as to whether he should sign with the Leafs in 2022.

“It’s special to share the ice with him. I looked up to him. He was a big influence on my career so getting to sit next to him and take it all in, take notes, it’s been really fun so far,” Knies said.

It’s plays like that block, which aren’t exactly in Knies’ wheelhouse, that could end up making him more of a factor in Keefe’s playoff lineup decision-making. There is an evident awareness from Knies about what he needs to do to improve in a short amount of time.

“It’s a pretty big step,” Knies said of the jump from the NCAA to the NHL. “Guys are a lot heavier, a lot faster. It’s a big adjustment. But the more games I can get under me, the more I can get adjusted to the speed. My awareness would get a bit better.”

He’s got two more games in the regular season to do just that. But for now, after his NHL debut, he looked like he belonged, inspired confidence about his short-term future, and won praise from some of the people who matter most.

“We’re trying to do something special here,” Matthews said. “We believe (Knies) can come in and help us.”

(Stats via Natural Stat Trick)

(Photo: Sam Navarro / USA Today)

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