Columbus Blue Jackets · Left wing · Shoots L

Matthew Knies

Age 23 · 6'3" · 227 lb · Born in Phoenix, USA

Cap hit

$7.75M

7.5% of $104M cap

Term

5 yrs

Through 2030-31, then UFA

Clause

M-NTC

10-team no-trade list

Surplus value

—

arrives with the trade tools

Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source

2026-27 regular season

Goals

50.0% shooting

Assists

0 primary

Points

3.00 per game

TOI/GP

16:06

PP 2:21 · PK 0:02

xGF%

54.1

5v5, +11.7 vs. last yr

Game Score

+1.26

per game, goals above average

Faceoff %

—

Plus/minus

Blocks 0 · Hits 0

Game log

Last 5 games · NHL API

Game	G	A	SOG	HIT	BLK	TOI	PP	PK	FO	OZS%	GV	TK	+/-	GS
Oct 1 vs BUF · W 6-3	2	1	4	0	0	16:06	2:21	0:02	—	86	1	1	0	+1.26
Apr 15 @ OTT · L 3-1	0	0	1	1	1	16:39	1:57	1:48	—	67	0	0	-1	-0.43
Apr 13 vs DAL · L 6-5	0	2	1	3	0	19:31	2:39	2:34	—	25	0	1	0	-0.42
Apr 11 vs FLA · L 6-2	0	0	1	1	0	16:30	0:21	0:56	—	75	1	0	-4	-0.33
Apr 9 @ NYI · L 5-3	0	0	0	0	0	18:56	1:02	2:24	—	20	0	0	-2	-0.52

GS = our Game Score, goals above average. FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.

Advanced metrics

5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,074 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards

xGF%42.3%

8th percentile

Relative xGF%-4.4

21st percentile

HDCF%44.9%

25th percentile

CF%42.4%

5th percentile

Relative CF%-3.0

24th percentile

FF%42.6%

6th percentile

GF%43.1%

26th percentile

CF/6050.0

18th percentile

CA/6068.0

3rd percentile

ixG/601.31

77th percentile

Goals above expected-0.4

53rd percentile

IPP86.4%

96th percentile

PDO100.4

60th percentile

OZS%56.9%

64th percentile

xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.

Play stylePlaymaking facilitator

Trait percentiles vs. NHL wingers · 2025-26

Knies is a pass-first winger who excels at setting up teammates from in-close, but doesn't shoot enough or defend well enough to be a complete two-way player. He finds his spots in the slot and relies on his playmaking touch rather than speed or physical presence to create offense.

PlaymakerSlot specialistPass-first

Shooting volume: 20
Playmaking: 80
Zone entries(est.): 12
Forechecking: 63
Physicality: 58
Defensive impact: 18
Puck management: 61
Speed: 52

Where he shoots from

Slot 66% · Mid-range 27% · Perimeter 7%(194 unblocked shots)

Strengths

Elite playmaking at 80th percentile creates consistent scoring chances for linemates
High slot-shot rate, 66% of his attempts, shows refined finishing area awareness
Solid puck management at 61st percentile limits giveaways in transition

Watch-outs

Zone entry creation struggles at 12th percentile, limiting his ability to start plays with the puck
Defensive impact ranks 18th percentile, providing minimal help preventing opponent chances
Shooting volume at 20th percentile underutilizes his scoring ability relative to positioning

Similar style: Jamie Benn (DAL), Collin Graf (SJS)

Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.

Where his Game Score comes from

2025-26 · 79 GP · goals above average

Season total +0.1 goals, or +0.00 per game.

Even strength offense: -1.1
Even strength defense: -1.7
Power play: +0.2
Penalty kill: -0.2
Finishing: -0.2
Playmaking: +2.3
Penalties: +0.9

Game Score adds up a player's impact in goals compared with an average player given the same ice time: his share of expected goals for and against at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, plus finishing (goals minus expected goals), primary assists, penalties drawn and taken, and faceoffs. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.

By season

Regular season

Season	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	SOG	TOI/GP	FO%	GS/GP
2026-27	CBJ	1	2	1	3	0	4	16:06	—	+1.26
2025-26	TOR	79	23	43	66	-30	140	18:48	—	+0.00
2024-25	TOR	78	29	29	58	+7	152	18:31	—	+0.08
2023-24	TOR	80	15	20	35	+9	115	13:41	—	-0.01
2022-23	TOR	3	0	1	1	+1	4	13:07	—	-0.05

Sentiment & chatter

Fans

—

Beat writers

—

Media

—

Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.

Age curve

How players at his position age, and where his contract falls on that curve, arrives with the trade tools.

Skating · NHL EDGE

2025-26, as of Oct 2

Top speed: 22.3 mph; 53rd pct
20+ mph bursts: 97
Hardest shot: 87.2 mph; 64th pct
Distance: 219.1 mi
OZ time: 41.0%; 36th pct
DZ time: 41.4%