Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube makes surprising admission heading into NHL playoffs

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube spoke about his team ahead of the playoffs. NHL columnist Luke Fox asked him which Maple Leafs player surprised him the most this season, and Berube said it was Matthew Knies. Berube praised how much he has improved this year.

"How he's grown as a player and what he's accomplished this year, I'm not sure I pictured that," Berube said on Thursday. "So, he's been a special surprise."

Knies had a strong year for Toronto as he scored 29 goals and had 27 assists for 56 points. Last season, he only had 35 points (15 goals and 20 assists). His ice time went up by five minutes per game. In the 2023-24 campaign, he was playing 13:40 minutes, but this season it increased to 18:34. Knies is playing on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Knies is turning out to be a solid top six forward for the Leafs. He is helping the team in scoring and defense, and this improvement has given Toronto better depth.

The Maple Leafs finished the regular season with 51 wins and 106 points. They won the Atlantic Division and will face Ottawa in the first round, where they'll have home-ice advantage. Game 1 is on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. It is the return of the "Battle of Ontario."

Matthews, Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares will all play a crucial role for Toronto's offense. Nylander has scored 45 goals this season. Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz will split goaltending duties.

Mark Giordano also praised Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies

Former Toronto Maple Leafs star Mark Giordano also praised Matthew Knies. Knies was drafted 57th overall by the Leafs in 2021. He pointed to Knies' skill and compared his strength to Shane Doan's.

“He’s a monster," Giordano said on Friday, via Leafslatest. "He’s strong. He’s powerful. He’s a big kid. He reminds me of Shane Doan, just in terms of body type. He’s a huge human being and naturally strong.

"When you get on the ice with him, especially down low, that’s when you really feel the power. Around the net, down low, you just can’t get inside on him. I always hated playing against guys like that, where you couldn’t really attack or be physical."

Giordano also mentioned that Knies has more skill than many realize. He compared him to Matthew Tkachuk, who is known for his play around the net.