At first glance, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Matthew Knies marks a notable departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs’ previous work at the draft table. For one, he’s the tallest skater they’ve drafted since 2018. As a crafty grinder rather than a slight scorer, he’s also a stylistic outlier.

Dig deeper, and there’s a throughline from thin playmakers like Semyon Der-Arguchintsev to the power-scorer Knies: standout abilities that intersect to create a clear path to plugging holes in his game while layering new skills.  

Above all else, the Leafs value skill, and skill comes in many different forms. Knies standout skill? Turning contested pucks along the boards to inside-lane offence, combining power and finesse – one of the more unheralded abilities in the sport.

It looks like this: