The Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward group is starting to get healthy, and with the internal competition heating up for spots on left wing, Matthew Knies needs to get back into his groove.

The 22-year-old winger was off to a great start for Toronto, leading the Leafs’ ‘secondary scorers’ with 10 goals and 16 points in 27 games. As of late, Knies hasn’t been on top of his game, with no points in his last four contests, and a cumulative -5 rating.

Knies continues to get his minutes with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top line but with Max Pacioretty turning back the clock recently with his strong play, and with Bobby McMann returning Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, head coach Craig Berube has a range of options to consider among his left wingers.

Knies needs to keep his game simple to be effective, and lean on his size and strength to create space for himself in front of the net. He’s had a tendency recently to attempt high-risk plays, in high-danger areas, instead of sticking to a north-south approach, and defer to the simpler play.  You need creativity when playing with Matthews and Marner, but what both Leafs’ stars could use more of right now, is for their left winger to be a pest on the forecheck, keep defensemen on their toes with a ferocious puck pursuit, and find his linemates in space in the offensive zone.

Unfortunately for Knies, the Maple Leafs have decided to change things up on their top power-play unit, so he’s going to see his ice-time reduced slightly heading into the weekend. Knies has just two power-play points since Nov.8, so it’s not a shock to see Berube and company make some adjustments.

It’s hard to ignore this is a huge season for Knies. He’s a pending restricted free-agent, with mutual interest from both sides to get a long-term extension done. There’s zero doubt he’s a big part of the Maple Leafs’ core moving forward, but for now, he’ll look to break out of his mini-slump, and get back to being a consistent fixture on the scoresheet. Providing some much needed five-on-five production will go a long way to ensuring Knies beats out McMann for minutes with the the top line.

The Maple Leafs recently played former head coach Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils, and it’s obvious the organization has had very high hopes for Knies since day one of his arrival. “I described him as a game-changer for us when he arrived,” Keefe explained on Leafs Morning Take on Dec.10.

“We were looking for so long for a left winger, that could come in and solidify that group, and last season I think he, like a lot first-year players, was figuring it out, and learning to play over 82 games.

“But even if you look at that first playoffs, when he joined us fresh out of the NCAA, I mean, I wish I could have two or three of him. I was trying him on different lines, trying him on the top line, and playing him on the checking line, just trying to utilize his skills. We when lost him in that Florida series, that was a big deal.”

Knies has had a positive impact since day one as a Maple Leaf. Right now, he’s fighting it a bit, and needs to keep things simple to get himself back on track. If he doesn’t, there’s certainly a chance Berube will give Pacioretty or McMann at least a look on the top line.