When Matthew Knies joined the Maple Leafs at the end of the season, he surprised a lot of people.
He came in and played three games right after being eliminated in the NCAA's Frozen Four. The Leafs won their last three games of the season.
Then, the playoffs started. He was on a good roll before being injured by Sam Bennett.
With four points in seven games, he showed that he can play in the NHL. He played intelligently, created quality chances, and used his size to control the puck. He didn't look like a rookie out there.
Now, advanced analytics put Knies second behind Auston Matthews in an important category.
An analyst reported on Twitter that Knies was in the second position for the most generated chances during the playoffs.
Matthews Knies showed his attributes when he was in the spotlight. He has the talent, the hockey IQ, and the size to be successful in the NHL.
After all, he found a way to perform in the playoffs against two great teams.
To be ahead of William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Ryan O'Reilly and John Tavares is simply impressive.
With only ten games played in the NHL, Knies still has a lot to learn but proved that he has a lot of potential.
As seen on Maple Leafs Daily -
Matthew Knies finished the playoffs 2nd on the Leafs in this intriguing advanced analytic
POLL | ||
Do you think Knies will start next season with the Leafs? | ||
Yes | 491 | 93.3 % |
No | 35 | 6.7 % |
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