Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies delivered a lackluster performance against the Montreal Canadiens, and it has sparked discourse in Toronto.
Matthew Knies was on a line with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic last night against the Canadiens, although the trip did not live up to the hype.
While Matthews logged an assist on a Darren Raddysh goal, Roslovic and Knies were mostly ghosts throughout the evening, which led to some strong comments on social media.
For instance, Leafs Rundown on X referenced a days-old post in which they stated how Knies is actually worse when he plays with Matthews.
You know what would help Auston Matthews get back to being Auston Matthews - take Knies off his line.
They forced two ill fitting players (91/88) together for the longest time, wonder how long they do it with 23/34.
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This is an interesting theory, especially when you consider the statistics provided. It suggests that the Leafs' issues have nothing to do with personnel, but everything to do with line combinations and chemistry.
Can head coach Jim Hiller fix this?
Leafs head coach Jim Hiller can absolutely fix this situation, but he needs to be willing to change up the lines and go with something the Leafs haven't really experimented with.
This means letting William Nylander or Gavin McKenna play with Auston Matthews, while putting Matthew Knies with John Tavares.
If necessary, Knies may even need to be demoted to the third line to jump-start things. Sure, it is not ideal, but the Leafs need to try something, or else they could be in for a repeat of last year.
At the end of the day, Hiller has control, and this might just be his first big test as head coach of the Maple Leafs.
Should Matthew Knies be taken off the Auston Matthews line?
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