Knies or Bourque

[Dover]

Points only , who you want? Looking for the best player in 2 or 3 years. Thanks will rep where i can

[random-d]

I'm thinking Knies is the easy favorite for the short-term. Already has time in, will play with top talent, and fills a needed role on the team. Bourque will still have to work his way into that so I can't imagine him surpassing Knies' production for a couple of years, if he ever does.

[chuckcouples]

Knies will outpoint Bourque for the upcoming season or 2 but in the long run, Bourque will likley score more. Knies seems more like a complimentary player on a skill line while Bourque should be able to drive his on line. The problem Bourque has is there's a lot of really good forwards in Dallas so getting into the lineup is going to be a problem.

[Belexus75]

im going to go Knies here, mostly cause im not a Borque believer...

[PicklePickle]

Bourque isn't dallas' top prospect and Knies is Toronto's best.

I would go Knies.

[Pengwin7]

I like Knies.
Probably the toughest league to draft players from is the USHL.
It's one of the youngest/weakest levels of competition - similar to the AJHL & BCHL (Alberta & BC junior leagues).

I think there's a lot of players that are passed over here - especially if they didn't get time with the USNTDP.

Knies is a big kid.
And what's strange... is that the bigger framed kids often do NOT light-up these inferior leagues.
Footspeed & shiftiness gains BIG points in these leagues. But those things may not be NHL-valuable.

Instead... the smaller-frame players (ex. Jayden Perron this past year) are the types that light-up these leagues.
Anyways - USHL players slide in their drafts.
The 2021 2nd round was surprisingly strong... and I think a few too many teams just passed on Knies (as USHL forward) in favor of a good F prospect from stronger league.
And it was a huge range of leauges for 2nd round forwards selected.
33 Potapov (Russia-2)
37 Josh Doan (USHL-Chicago Steel. The Steel being a dominant scoring team in the USHL usually)
39 Zack Ostapchuk (WHL)
41 Danila Klimovich (Belarus)
42 Pinelli (OHL)
43 Fedotov (Russia-2)
45 Stromgren (SWE-1)
46 Tuomaala (Finland-Jr)
47 Stankoven (WHL)
50 Chibrikov (KHL)
51 Koivunen (Finalnd JR)
52 Raty (SM-liiga)
53 Kisakov (Russia Jr)
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2021e.html
Point here - is that I think forward prospect / league-relation was VERY difficult to do in the 20-60 range of draft picks for 2021 draft.

In Knies draft year, he played with Hunter Strand and Carter Mazur on the Tri-City Storm.

So... it can be hard to separate those players.
Hunter Strand was the team's leading scorer... 5'-11".
Carter Mazur was 2nd leading scorer... 6'-0"... went to Denver, played well, won NCAA title with them.
And Knies was 3rd leading scorer... 6'-2"... went to Minnesota played well over two years - the latest on line with Cooley & Snuggerud.

It happens in the Q too... the smaller-framed players are more mature to their bodies and often perform better.
Mavrik Bourque is 5'-10" and he's always put up points in the Q.

But body size IS important in the real NHL.

I would say people have seen DeBrincat and Caufield look really good as undersize players and have gotten REALLY hung up on those guys maybe "dropping" - and being steals.
But I think the better draft steals are when you have an NHL-frame player that is still developing.

Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz.... Matthew Knies.
(Knies won't be those guys - FWIW - but the point is that "big guys slide" too... and maybe they are the better risk for fantasy hockey.)
Big guys, 6'-2" or bigger... if they can skate at NHL-level and have hands/head... they are going to make it.
They have "full game".

So Knies for me.
I think he's just a better lock to work at NHL.

Bourque - for me... IDK... we'll see how his frame does for next level.

[Axeman33]

Usually the bigger players slide in the real NHL draft because there's other deficiencies in their game that scouts don't like, be it footspeed, competitiveness, hockey sense, etc. I can't say why Knies slid in his draft but clearly enough scouts saw something similar and took a pass on him.

Knies gets a lot of love around these parts too because of the franchise he plays for. Most around these parts pay more attention to the Leafs and their prospects compared to someone like Dallas and their prospects so that could potentially play into some of the answers here you'll receive (see Nick Robertson as a recent example).

I would do some research outside these four walls for a bit more, shall we say, subjective opinions.

For me, I like both kids and I think both will get their chances this year and both could also be up and down between the NHL and AHL in the short term. Long term, I do think Knies has a slight edge but it's not a big one.

[2014olympicgold]

For the Stars lines, their centers under contract going forward are:
Hintz, Johnston, Seguin, Faska, Duchene, Dellandre.

I think you have Knies in the NHL producing a year quicker. Bourque should get a shot next yr with Duchene, Pavelski, and Smith potentially leaving and opening up a roster spot.

I'd say years 1-3 = Knies, then years 4+ is a coin toss.

[Axeman33]

For the Stars lines, their centers under contract going forward are:
Hintz, Johnston, Seguin, Faska, Duchene, Dellandre.

I think you have Knies in the NHL producing a year quicker. Bourque should get a shot next yr with Duchene, Pavelski, and Smith potentially leaving and opening up a roster spot.

I'd say years 1-3 = Knies, then years 4+ is a coin toss.

Stankoven and Bourque will get shuffled to the wings.

[Habsy]

Knies honestly, and until further notice, it’s not even close. Im not a huge Knies guy, and it’s not to say Bourque is bad, because I loved him in his draft year, but you have to look at circumstance. It’s unlikely another Leafs forward prospect will come out to unseed him anytime soon, and based on circumstance and cap reasons, he’ll be a lock in the leafs top 6 for years to come, whether it’s the Matthews line or the Tavares line. Bourque has a lot of competition in front of him with Johnston and Stankoven there, as well as Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson being viable long term options, plus whoever the Stars may or may not bring in over the years. There’s a bigger mountain for Bourque to climb for fantasy relevance than Knies has, so for that reason, I’d side with Knies.