Worrisome trend emerges involving Maple Leafs power forward Matthew Knies

Matthew Knies has 29 points in 28 games this season, and for the most part, he has been one of the best players on the entire team.

Unfortunately, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a bit of a mess this season. They consistently take one step forward and two steps back.

This has left Knies in the unenviable position of trying everything in his power to be the guy who can do it all, whether that be scoring goals or playmaking.

He has seven goals so far this season, and is on track for a lot less than the 29 he had last season, even if he is on pace for point-per-game production.

On top of all of this, a worrisome trend has emerged involving Knies, and the fanbase is starting to take notice of this after a goalless game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Knies came into last night's game with a three-game pointless streak. While he did get an assist, he did not get a single goal.

In his last 18 games, Knies has just three goals, which is not the kind of production you would expect from a top-tier power forward.

So what exactly is the issue? Well, the first line currently consists of Auston Matthews and Max Domi. Matthews is having one of the worst seasons of his career, and Domi has been downright awful.

If Domi continues to play on the first line, Knies' struggles will only become more pronounced, and head coach Craig Berube needs to step in here.

There is no world where Domi should be on the first line. Sure, Knies is missing Mitch Marner right now. But there has to be someone more talented who could take on the role of first-line right-winger, as opposed to whatever the Leafs are doing right now.