Matthew Knies Speaks Out on Mitch Marner's Exit from Maple Leafs
Matthew Knies' ascension to a key top-line forward came at just the right time for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Particularly, taking into account the loss of his former superstar linemate Mitch Marner.
Knies signed a six-year extension this summer with the Leafs, for $46.5 million ($7.75M AAV), just as UFA Marner headed out the door to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
Knies had spent two full years getting to know Marner as a teammate and a friend, and he has now opened up on losing his uber-talented linemate in an interview with Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff.
It’ll be a little weird, I think, just to not see him in the locker room, and obviously he has a pretty loud voice and he ran the music and he did a lot for us.
But he wasn't really privy to what Marner's plan would be, once the season came to an end.
I didn’t really ask him much about it. Especially during the season, I don’t think anyone was really bothered about it... And then towards the end of it, we were just trying to figure out, I guess, what his plan was.
He found something that worked for him a little bit better, and we all wish him the best. It was sad to see him leave, but it’s a business, and you gotta do what you gotta do.
Knies expects to pick up some of the ice time, particularly on special teams, that they lose with Marner's exit.
“Just me getting older and the team investing a little bit more in me now shows that I need to step up and play some more roles and probably play some key moments of the game, and take some of that ice time, too,” he said. “My experience and my previous play have shown that I’m capable of it.”
Indeed, Knies stepped up in his sophomore season with 29 goals and 29 assists for 58 points, a 23-point increase from his rookie year. He also handed out 182 hits. In addition, Knies proved to be a solid playoff performer—something the Leafs are always in dire need of—with five goals in 13 games.
Photo: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
