One by one, an intimate group put down their cutlery and leaned in to hear an emerging NHL star speak in unfamiliar surroundings.

Matthew Knies pulled his shoulder-length hair away from his face and flashed a knowing grin. He raised his voice above the clatter, and it quickly became clear: the 22-year-old would show no fear delivering his first-ever best man speech.

Knies was speaking before the wedding of close friend Grant Cruikshank. Cruikshank was a senior at the University of Minnesota when he met Knies, who was then a freshman. They formed a bond. Many of Cruikshank’s friends at his summer wedding were much older than Knies. That didn’t matter as Knies spoke with the confidence and ease of someone far older.

“It was pretty easy for me to write, including the sentimental stuff. I think the hardest part was writing jokes that everyone’s going to laugh at or everyone’s going to understand,” Knies said, pausing for dramatic effect. “And yeah, I got the crowd laughing.”

The speech was a highlight of the Maple Leafs’ winger’s summer. It was another example of Knies taking the reins in a new way. And it was preparation that could serve him well, entering his most important Leafs season.

You’d have to go back to the 2019-20 season, when Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were 22, for the last time the Leafs relied on a 22-year-old as much as they will rely on Knies this season. But Marner is no longer a Leaf. Knies is now one of just two assumed top-line Leafs. His six-year extension was the longest the Leafs handed out this summer.

Only 22 but with the need for offence and a dressing room voice having increased with Marner’s departure, Knies is now an undeniable piece of the team’s core. In just his third full season, he could take new ownership over the Leafs.

“Everyone’s always going to tell you the cliché that pressure is a privilege and stuff. But I think it’s honestly so much fun that there’s so many people so invested in our group. I’d be upset with fans if they weren’t unhappy with my game if I wasn’t playing well,” Knies told The Athletic in a lengthy offseason conversation.

Knies’ two biggest fans might just be Craig Berube and Brad Treliving. It’s not a stretch to suggest the pair want the Leafs to play — and act — like Knies does: Heavy. Hard. Free of pretense.

And if Berube, Treliving and the Leafs are going to rely heavily on their power forward this season, this summer reinforced that he’s ready to take on the responsibility.

“I want that feeling that I’m playing for the whole city,” Knies said. “I don’t really look at it as something that can tear me down. It’s something that is going to make me better.”

This summer, Knies hardly left Minnesota. One of his most notable trips was to Ottawa for the 2025 PWHL Draft. His girlfriend, whom he met in Minnesota, Ella Huber, was selected in the second round by the Boston Fleet.

Instead of heading back to his Arizona home, Knies rented a house with three of his former University of Minnesota teammates: Cruikshank, along with Anaheim Ducks defenceman Jackson LaCombe and St. Louis Blues forward prospect Jimmy Snuggerud.

He’s grown a distaste for the summer heat in Arizona. But more importantly, living with hockey players meant he could focus on the upcoming season.

“We spent 24 hours out of the day together,” Knies said. “And we live and breathe hockey. We all push each other. It was a perfect situation for all of us.”

The added responsibility Knies took on came in the form of his new(ish) chocolate doodle, Zoey. Knies got his first dog on his own toward the end of last season.

This year, as Knies steps more into the spotlight, Leafs fans could learn more about the personality behind the player. His life is painted with serious shades of his teammate, William Nylander. He lives drama-free. Eager to shrug off troubles and get on with it. In just his second full NHL season, Knies wasn’t afraid to call out the Leafs as “a little bit soft” after an April loss to the Florida Panthers.

His assessment turned out to be prescient.

“You have to be very modest but also not say what everyone wants to hear, too, but say what we truly believe,” Knies said of dealing with heightened media attention in Toronto.

But when the cameras are on, and even more when they’re not, Knies will always be just as eager to flash a 200-foot by 85-foot smile.

If that all sounds a little unassuming, well, that’s Knies. What, for example, was his big summer purchase after signing a $46.5 million contract?

“A nice coffee machine for my girlfriend’s lake house,” he said.

Noble enough. But … that’s it?

“I have everything. Nice car, nice apartment. There’s not much more a guy needs,” Knies said.

Crucially, Knies realized that what he needed this summer was ownership of his development.

When he met the Leafs coaching staff in his exit meeting, he outlined where he thought he needed to improve: His wall play needed to be more precise. His puck touches in crucial areas need to come quicker. He wanted to become leaner and more agile.

“I want to get as physically dominant as possible,” Knies said.

The conversation ended up being short. The Leafs agreed and came away seeing a player who knew exactly what the team wanted from him.

And so this summer, Knies worked only sparingly with an on-ice trainer (former pro P.J. Atherton). He skated alongside his housemates and any other pros who would drop by the University of Minnesota. However, for the most part, Knies took it upon himself to improve largely on his own.

“I think that (the Leafs) kind of left it up to me on knowing what’s best and what I should work on. I’m glad they did, because I think it’s really helped,” Knies said. “A lot of it this summer has just been myself doing my own drills. Now, having played for two seasons, I’ve figured out what my game needs and where my game is not the strongest. So I think a lot of this stuff I take on myself.”

Can Matthew Knies crack the U.S. men’s Olympic team for Milano Cortina 2026? (John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)

Knies’ summer was bolstered with an invitation to the United States men’s Olympic team orientation camp in August.

“I just want to prove that I’m a great teammate and people want to be around me,” Knies said.

He remains an outsider to crack the team. But Knies knows taking charge of his Leafs team this season could change his outlook come 2026.

“I know I’ll have to have a really strong start to the season to make a good showing (and) earn myself a spot on that team. But I was excited to see that they see that my game can make an impact, and hopefully I can show that I deserve a spot for that team when it comes to February,” Knies said.

Knies was the fifth-youngest player of the 44 NHLers invited to the U.S. camp. The invite was another sign of his rapid progression away from being a naïve NHL rookie.

There was a time early in Knies’ career that he treaded carefully. He lived with then-Leafs captain John Tavares through his rookie campaign as he learned the ropes of the NHL life. His diet and off-ice habits were flipped on their head. Knies’ dressing room seat was in the far corner of the action as he observed more than interacted.

That time is over.

As this past season wore on, Knies became more comfortable with the pressure of being an important piece of the Leafs. He was further thrust into the role when Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights.

“It feels really weird, to be honest,” Knies said of Marner’s departure. “It’s hard to picture him in a different jersey.”

Yet Marner’s signing with the Golden Knights led Knies to an inevitable truth.

“It was once I realized that at this level it’s more of a business and you’ve got to do what’s best for yourself and your family. I hope he did that. I hope he enjoys himself and still has a lot of success because I think he meant a lot to our team and obviously (to) me. It just feels awkward,” Knies said.

Marner’s departure means there is more room in the spotlight in Toronto. That’s where Knies wants to be.

“I have to perform better and take on a little bit more ice time or take on a bigger role. If that’s what’s needed and expected, then you know I’m going to be ready for it and hopefully successful in those areas,” Knies said.

With added experience, Knies’ time on both the power play and penalty kill this season could increase. Plus, there’s the not-so-small issue of one of the NHL’s perennial point producers walking out the door: Knies, along with the Leafs’ other elite stars, must balance Berube’s need for physicality with finding the back of the net.

What will success look like for Knies?

Crossing the 30-goal plateau and adding more playmaking is a start. He’ll have to avoid midseason slumps, too. And that’s all just the precursor to what he hopes is a lengthy playoff run.

This summer reminded Knies that he doesn’t want to run from what he’s become with the Leafs: a face of the team. What could define this season for the team’s next great hope is how he handles the lights shining brighter on him than they ever have.

“I don’t think that there’s anything that prepares you for it. I want to say it comes with experience. I think the first time I showed up at development camp my first year, there’s 15 cameras in your face, you’re thrown into the fire. You’ve just got to be honest and stay level-headed and humble,” Knies said.

(Top photo: Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images)