Knierim plays a big, physical game, and is able to find space on the ice to make quick plays with the puck. He derives his skating power and speed from his leg strength and uses his stability to gain unstoppable momentum. He plays a heavy game, and is immovable when he plants himself in front of the net. He has great reach and uses his stick well to provide advantageous separation and puck protection from defenders. Knierim has good peripheral vision and finds passing lanes all over the ice when driving the play. The big winger has skilled hands, and he is capable of driving play up ice and around the net. Knierim has a powerful shot and can really surprise the goaltender with how quickly it gets it off in tight. He takes good lanes in the defensive zone to pinch opponents off the puck. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and plays with a tenacious attitude. He is hard to move off of the puck, plays a physical style and throws his weight around effectively. He is willing to drop the mitts to settle a disagreement or stick up for his teammates. He is most impressive driving his frame to the net with a defender on his back. A really impressive package of power and skill now, but Knierim has a ways to go before we feel he can become the high-end scoring pro-type winger. At bare minimum, he will be a strong and smart guy with whom to go to battle. The Miami (NCAA) commit needs to improve his first-step acceleration, and is projected to add even more strength before he moves on to the next level.   (May 2016)