The organization’s top prospect picked the brains of fellow U.S. Olympian Nick Ambrose, 23, another NCAA star. Abruzzese put pen to paper and chose to become a professional. he could tell his friend what life inside the Maple Leafs locker room was really like. Naturally, Knies consulted his parents, Miroslav and Michaela, and his hockey-playing older brother, Phil. Poll friends and coaches. And as Knies went through the difficult decision-making process, he also received a call from fellow Arizona prospect Auston Matthews. “He was someone I really enjoyed listening to and getting advice from, so he’s definitely a big character and he’s been very helpful as well,” Knies says Sunday at the Ford Performance Centre, after his first day on the ice at a Leafs development camp. . “When he got here, I kept watching him. He had a big influence on my game.” The Hart Trophy champion’s advice to his fellow left-shot center fielder? “Just be patient with it. Make sure you’re ready for the jump. I know he made it fast, but there aren’t many guys like Auston who could make that jump that early,” Knies recalled. “Well, be patient. Work on your skills. Develop yourself. And make sure you’re ready to take the next step — because it’s definitely a big one.” Impressed by Knies’ first point-per-game season for a great team at the University of Minnesota and in need of a scoring boost on the left side, the Maple Leafs GM made a move last spring to sign Knies as a 19-year-old. Yes, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound forward was tempted to cap off a whirlwind season — an Olympic experience, an errant world juniors appearance and a stellar Frozen Four performance — with his NHL debut. But Dubas also had the respect Knis needed to feel comfortable making the leap. “I felt they really needed me. They liked me a lot. I felt they wanted my interest (to be taken) in it. They wanted me to be the best player I can be, so they left the decision up to me, but obviously they were really professional about it,” explains Knies. “I had a lot of people in my ear telling me what to do and I listened to them. I took everyone’s advice. But it came down to my decision. And I thought I needed one more year to become a better player, because I know it’s a big step to make the NHL. So I’m trying to make a much smoother transition.” Ironically, it takes a mature person to recognize that more maturation is needed. Knies has had his sights set on what’s next from a young age, having sought the coaching of Arizona standout Shane Doan since he was five or six years old. He’s comfortable trying to take another stab at a national championship with the Gophers and plans to use the 2022-23 season to improve his two-way game and become a more complete threat. Knies is also selected for August, when he will continue his “dream come true” of representing Team USA at the world juniors in Edmonton — this time with the fans roaring in the barn. Toronto’s second-round pick in 2021, a pandemic draft, Knies is visiting Toronto for the first time in years. (He came here once as a young lad, stayed in a team hotel, played a tournament and returned to the border.) Prospects were treated to a Q&A session with new front office assistant Jason Spezza Saturday at the welcome dinner, and Knies is all smiles when he meets president Brendan Shanahan at the rink. He also wants to learn as much as he can from player development guru Hayley Wickenheiser. “She’s really smart. I mean, she knows what she’s talking about,” Knies says. “She gives me a bit too much – obviously for good fun – and I’ve learned a lot from her. I’m excited to pick her brain for the rest of the week.” Cutting an imposing figure for a teenager, Knies stands out, literally and figuratively, among the Leafs campers. His game combines raw muscle with silky hands and quick feet. The eye test matches the assessment given by many professional scouts: If NHL GMs took a mulligan in the 2021 draft, Knies would get a Round 1 scan. “He’s really strong and powerful out there,” says Fraser Minten, Toronto’s first-round pick in 2022. “He looks like one of the bigger guys out there – really strong and definitely noticeable.” “I have a lot of size and I’m a strong player. Well, I like to use it to my advantage,” Knies says matter-of-factly. “I think that’s what’s going to help me take that next step.” Toronto’s development staff stresses a simple message to the blue-white hopefuls: Become a thief. “When you see someone do something good, you take it and try to apply it to your game. So that’s what I’m trying to do here — try to get all that information to make sure I’m a better player,” Knies says. If Knies is a thief, he is an honest one. “I don’t think I was ready to take the plunge yet. Off the ice, on the ice, I don’t think I was mature enough as a player, as a person. I think there was more to go into it. I’m excited. I’m lucky enough to be here. And just very, very happy.” The next Maple Leaf projected to stay in the top six is taking advice from the desert. Be patient and good things will follow. “Hopefully I can join them at the end of the season,” says Knies. “After I mature myself as a player, I think that’s when I can step up and give the Leafs a boost and try to make them a better team.”
