Knuble took a step forward in his sophomore NCAA season, potting 12 goals and adding 27 assists for 39 points in 34 games. This put him head and shoulders above his teammates at Notre Dame for the scoring lead with several games fewer than his peers. His 1.14 points per game were also good for 21st in the NCAA. Knuble likes to fire pucks on net, and has taken a step forward since being drafted by the Flyers as a reentry. His father Mike played for the Flyers for several seasons, and that no doubt provides some extra fire for the younger Cole to attempt to do the same. He is worth a watchlisting, or a stash in deeper leagues. He will return to the NCAA next year, but could skate in the AHL at the end of the season.

Knuble attended the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp/World Junior Summer Showcase, which took place in Plymouth, Michigan. The event is part of the selection process for Team USA before the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden, from December 26, 2023, to January 5, 2024. Knuble earned praise at the Flyers Development Camp in July after being selected as an overage player in the fourth round, 104th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He didn’t disappoint at the Summer Showcase, showing good chemistry with USA’s top players while asserting himself as a possibility for a bottom-six role with the USA at the 2024 World Junior Championship. Knuble, the son of former Flyer forward Mike Knuble, will play at the University of Notre Dame in 2023-24.

Knuble was selected 103rd overall by the Flyers.

Knuble is eligible as a re-entry prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft, and given the steps forward he’s taken in both his development and production, he is likely to hear his name called in the mid-to-late rounds.

Knuble was not chosen in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Cole, the son of longtime NHLer Mike Knuble, was one of the highest-scoring draft-eligible players in the USHL this season, notching 20 goals and 29 assists through 62 games with Fargo. He had a particularly strong finish to the season, picking up 11 points in his final five outings during the regular season.

After posting 66 points in 57 games for the Fargo Force this season, a total which led his team by a margin of 11 points, Knuble scored six goals and added three assists in nine USHL playoff matches. His intelligence is evident on a shift-by-shift basis; delays, passes through pressure, and positional awareness are the main traits of his in which those smarts shine. He has maintained his intense nature, but has also added some composure to his game, which has seen his upside improve. His puck protection and skill in tight quarters have massively improved as well, making him lethal below the hashmarks. When it comes to re-entry prospects, few boast the upside that Knuble has, especially if his skating comes a few steps forward and his defensive technique improves.

The first thing that stands out about Knuble is the energy he brings to practically every shift. He isn’t the most technically sound skater but he covers a lot of ice with a motor that’s always running, whether it be pressuring opponents on the forecheck or trying to take pucks into the middle of the ice after getting the defenders on their heels. Despite his small stature, Knuble competes hard and doesn’t hesitate to engage physically. He will finish his checks and he uses his body well to get under checks and battle for pucks along the wall. He has decent hands in tight and can dish to an open teammate but there isn’t a ton of creativity or deception in his game as a playmaker. Knuble has some finishing ability in counterattack situations and certainly doesn’t shy away from the dirty areas but he likely isn’t a big-time goal scorer at the pro level. He isn’t the biggest player and doesn’t have elite skating or play-driving abilities, but the way he competes and makes use of the offensive tools he does have gives him a chance as a bottom-six NHL forward.