Top prospect Matthew Knies reveals advice given by Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping that they've once again struck Arizona gold, as prospect Matthew Knies was selected in the second round, 57th overall, in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. How ironic that the Leafs could soon have two top players hailing from the hockey hotbed of the southwest desert. 

He's been nominated for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey, having posted 30 points in 28 games played this season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. And in a conversation with TSN's Mark Masters, he discussed the improvements to his shot as well as skating. 

"Just ripping the puck and firing it off my stuck, the more I get it off my stick, the better the chances," he said. "Just trying to create chaos in front of the net and create chances for other guys as well. I just kind of have that shot first mentality and it's been working for me, so I"m going to try and keep that in mind."

"I've been working a lot on my skating as well as my shooting; I want to get it off my stick a bit quicker in tight areas, and I think I've done well with that as well as my skating; getting out of corners and being a little deceptive with my feet has been a huge improvement on my game and allows me to get a step ahead on my defenders." 

You can bet that the Maple Leafs are certainly pleased with his developments, so what kind of feedback has he been receiving from his future squad? 

"Just keep working," he explained. "I mean obviously they've been sending me little clips of the shooting and skating, working on it with me and some film work. But I thin they trust me and my game; don't want to be too much of a distraction in other scenarios, so they have a good balance with that."