Wednesday Chat: Maple Leafs #KniesWatch will end soon

Yesterday Scott Wheeler posted a really interesting article about Matthew Knies: Matthew Knies has a decision to make: sign with the Maple Leafs or go back to college?

It has a combination of things. It’s part interview with Knies and those around him, and part analysis of the strengths of his game.

If you’re hoping this will give you an idea of ​​how Knies is leaning to join the Toronto Maple Leafs, you won’t find anything there. Looks like he’s not sure, from there. We learned over the weekend that Knies will soon meet the Leafs and then make his decision. While there have been rumors about how he leaned (and all you Leafs fans need fucking CHILL for all that), it’s not clear.

Thanks to Dreger, we now know that the two parties will meet during the day.

The reasons he might want to stay in college for at least another year? You can get an idea of ​​that from Wheeler’s profile…it’s a sudden big change and challenge for him. How much playing time he’ll have in the streak with less than 10 games left is uncertain, although the Leafs could presumably reassure him if they wanted to. There’s also the standard “unfinished business” of wanting another shot at a championship with Minnesota and wanting another year of education.

On the other hand, there is the question of why SHOULD he sign his ELC now? Well, he will become a free agent and make big money as a professional hockey league player sooner rather than later. It’s not nothing. He’ll also get playing time in the NHL sooner rather than later, potentially including in the playoffs — that’s not nothing either.

What may also be a big reason for him may have been revealed by Knies himself, in Wheeler’s article. He seems to enjoy his work with the Leafs development team a lot, and signing would allow him to work with them more often and more directly:

Once his freshman year started, the Leafs also helped him get off the ice. Throughout the season, Hayley Wickenheiser and members of the Leafs’ development team reached out to him once or twice a month to do video work and give him pointers on where he could improve his game. but also just to lend an ear as he navigated a busy schedule and a few surprises, including a very different first Olympic experience than he had imagined much later in his career.

“(Wickenheiser) was really supportive of me,” Knies said. “She’s always there when I need someone.”

MAPLE LEAVES LINKS

How will the Atlantic classification be played out? | by Katia

Maple Leafs can’t beat Craig Anderson | Designed by

Kerfoot has played a more consistent role this year, but remains the Leafs’ swiss army knife | by TLN

Settling on a stoppage defense pairing, Mitch Marner’s rising ice time and other ratings entering the Final 10 | by MLHS

MISCELLANEOUS LINKS

Does late-season performance predict a team’s fate in the playoffs? | by Daily Faceoff

NHL Playoff Push: Why Vegas is the team to watch right now | by Sportsnet

Player representatives receive findings of investigation into Fehr’s handling of Beach allegations | by Rick Westhead

The Vegas Golden Knights will be an interesting team over time. They’re fighting for one of the last playoff spots in the West, but they now have a healthy Eichel AND Stone on their roster. But they also have a lot of other players on LTIR.

Malkin got a four-game suspension, which means the NHL’s DoPS is biased in favor of the Leafs, as Matthews only got two games for his cross-check suspension. That’s how it works, right?

Frederik Andersen pulls out the dirty clocks.

Evander Kane started a wild brawl in Minnesota last night.

Have a good Wednesday!