Call me crazy but I think the Leafs need to find a way to get Matthew Knies on one of the two power play units.
For obvious reasons, it’s probably not going to be the first one, but at the very least, I think they should be taking an outside the box approach to things.
While I totally comprehend that he’s a rookie and the Leafs don’t want to give him too much too quickly, Knies is too good offensively to be riding the pine with the man-advantage right now. He needs to be out there, and quite frankly, I think it could easily be at the expense of Max Domi. Whatever.
It’s funny, Sheldon Keefe loves juggling his lines, but when it comes to the power play, forget about it. And I get it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Year after year, the Leafs have possessed one of the top power plays in the entire league. I’m sure 2023-24 will be no different. That said, I don’t know about you but one of my lasting memories from the past few postseasons is Toronto’s struggling on the power play. Yeah, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a different animal.
To combat against that, I think it would be beneficial to all parties involved to tinker with different combinations. Honestly, what’s the worst that can happen? I mean, they should be used to all the juggling by now. At this point, everyone’s played with each other. The old village bicycle analogy. Who remembers the Austin Powers trilogy? So good.
And I’m not calling for drastic changes either. Personally, I just think a player like Knies could flourish on the top unit or even bring a bit of a different look. With that in mind, I’m realistic. PP1’s a pipe dream, but there’s no way he should be off the power play completely.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s early. Will Knies eventually find his way back on the power play? Probably. I suppose like the majority of Leafs Nation right now, I’m just super excited about this kid, his future, and his progression as a hockey player.
Matthew Knies is an absolute stud and I want to see him out there as much as possible.
