It took Adam Fantilli only three sentences to summarize why the Blue Jackets are so excited about adding Matthew Knies to their top forward line before opening the season Oct. 1 against the Buffalo Sabres.
“I’ve played against him a bunch of times," Fantilli said. "I played against him in college, and it was a bit of a nightmare. He was a moose in college, and in the NHL he’s been a stud, too."
Breaking that down, Knies is a moose, a nightmare and an NHL stud all rolled into one big frame listed at 6 feet 3, 232 pounds. He's also Fantilli's new left wing after the Blue Jackets acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a Sept. 28 trade that sent Kirill Marchenko packing.
“He was tough to play against [in college]," Fantilli said. "He was close to as big as he is now in college, so he can skate, shoot, score, and he plays the right way. It was tough to play against.”
The idea now is for Fantilli, Knies and Kent Johnson to enjoy playing together while making life miserable for opposing teams. If their first practice together Sept. 30 was an indication, it might work out as planned. Knies and Fantilli used their size and speed to pull defenders away from Johnson, who rewarded their efforts with two pinpoint wrist shots for goals while left open during drills.
"Obviously, [Johnson's] dangerous with the puck and can make those plays, so I’m just going to try and find those openings and get the puck back for us," Knies said. "Just create havoc to make the game open for those guys.”
Columbus Blue Jackets warming to big, strong, surly identity
Mathieu Olivier's eye widened and his mouth curled into a smile as the Blue Jackets' enforcer answered a question about Knies fitting into a new lineup that has progressively grown bigger, stronger and meaner over the past three seasons.
"I think he's going to love it," Olivier said. "It's going to be paradise for him. He fits exactly into what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to build something here that everyone’s bought into. There’s no, ‘doing my own thing,’ or being on your own page. It’s really everyone buying into the same thing, and this Knies coming in, that’s going to accomplish that. He’s a guy that every team needs, and he’s going to fit in like a glove.”
That's because his style of play is what the Blue Jackets are adopting as a new identity going into their first full season with Rick Bowness as head coach. Since taking over for Dean Evason midway through last season, Bowness has harped on being "harder to player against," and it nearly took them from last place in the NHL's Eastern Conference to a playoff spot.
They became more of a headache without gaining size or strength last season, but now they're imposing after adding Knies and Valerie Nichushkin (6-4, 210) onto the top two forward lines while skating massive forward Dmitri Voronkov (6-5, 234) on the fourth line.
Going into the opener against Buffalo, the Blue Jackets' projected forwards collectively stand an average of 6-1 and 204 pounds, which is beefy by hockey standards.
"You can have size, but you have to be able to move, right?" Bowness said. "[Nichushkin] and [Knies] and [Voronkov], like, they can move. So, they’re going to be hard to keep away from the front of the net, and they’ll cover a lot of ground when they’re on the forecheck ... and big, heavy teams win in the playoffs, right?"
Playoffs?
"Clearly, you’ve got to get there, but if you watch the playoffs over the last, never mind how many years I’ve been in the league, the big, heavy teams win," Bowness said. "And we’re certainly … yeah, I love our size. You’ve heard me preach all the time, ‘Be harder to play against, harder to play against.’ Size and mobility helps that.”
Columbus Blue Jackets won't be pushed around
The Blue Jackets are again taking a barrage of verbal punches from analysts and others employed by Sportsnet, TSN, ESPN, The Athletic and The Hockey News.
They're a veritable punching bag because of their losing history juxtaposed against the success of the perennial powerhouse Ohio State football program down the road. Columbus also takes slings and arrows as a city because many who've never to the city envision it as a quaint little college town, like those where most Big Ten universities are located.
The Blue Jackets are already predicted by some outlets to finish last in the Metropolitan Division, as per usual, and their trade to acquire Knies is being painted by fans in places such as Toronto, Montreal and New York as another organizational disaster due to Marchenko's exit.
Add all of those factors together and there's no shortage of motivation for Blue Jackets players. That's nothing new, but there is a noticeable difference about this particular group of Blue Jackets.
"We have the lineup to do it now, absolutely," Olivier said, grinning. "We can look anybody in the eye right now, and go toe-to-toe with anyone as far as our hockey game goes. It’s definitely something you need. You need a little grit, a little more snarl, and we have the pieces to do so. So, it’s up to us to execute.”
Dispatch Blue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Matthew Knies gives Columbus Blue Jackets a 'moose' on the loose
