The Leafs rookie jumped from the NCAA over to the Leafs lineup at the end of the season, and has since found himself a consistent spot in Toronto's playoff lineup.
When Sheldon Keefe was asked who would be coming out of his lineup to make room for Michael Bunting, who was returning from a three-game suspension, he made one thing very clear. Matthew Knies was not coming out.
Matthew Knies was asked about the comment by the media recently, and he had this to say:
That's a lot of confidence from the young forward, and confidence is certainly something this Leafs roster could use.
With the chance to eliminate Tampa Bay tonight and finally break their playoff curse, Knies will look to be a large part of the Leafs efforts.
The Leafs aren't short on star power, with guys like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Ryan O'Reilly contributing major minutes to the Leafs offence.
Despite the apparent lack of opportunities up front, Knies had clawed his way into the Leafs lineup, and it looks like he's here to stay.
As Seen on Maple Leafs Daily -
Matthew Knies reacts to Sheldon Keefe's comments about keeping him in the playoff lineup
POLL | ||
Do you think Knies' comments were too cocky? | ||
Yes | 121 | 21.2 % |
No | 450 | 78.8 % |
List of polls |