Knies has missed three games this season and has been dealing with the undisclosed injury since before Christmas.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies will be a game-time decision on Monday night as the club hosts the Minnesota Wild inside Scotiabank Arena.
The 23-year-old has been dealing with an undisclosed injury for "quite some time," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube on Monday after Toronto's morning skate, which Knies missed.
Berube added that Knies has been dealing with the same ailment since before Christmas.
"It's obviously bothering him a lot for quite some time," added Toronto's head coach. "It hasn't gotten really much better, other than when he gets some breaks, you know, Christmas time and stuff. He comes back, it feels better, but it's an ongoing issue."
Knies has missed three games this season, all in mid-November: Nov. 18 vs. St. Louis, Nov. 20 vs. Columbus, and Nov. 22 vs. Montreal. Through 45 games this season, Knies has 12 goals and 40 points, ranking fourth among the Maple Leafs.
Scott Laughton held Knies' spot on the Maple Leafs' second line at the skate, alongside John Tavares and Matias Maccelli. Laughton's shift to a larger role in the lineup suggests that Knies is less likely to play against the Wild.
Berube has been impressed with Laughton's game as of late, thus promoting him to a higher spot in the lineup. Toronto's head coach added, however, that if Laughton doesn't work there, he won't hesitate to switch things around again.
"(Laughton's) been in those situations before, played wing, played up with a more top-six role," Berube said. "He's played some real good hockey for us, so he has an opportunity to go up there, but I can move other guys in and out too, so we'll see him move around if that's the case."
Laughton has two goals in his last six games with Toronto. He also has a team-leading 59.8 win percentage in the face-off dot this season, and ranks fifth in the NHL (among players who've taken 300 or more face-offs).
With Laughton moving up, Jacob Quillan, who was called up ahead of Toronto's morning skate on Monday, will center the fourth line, between Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok.
The 23-year-old has played three NHL games this season (four in total), but has been strong in the AHL, scoring eight goals and 27 points in 28 games. Quillan most recently scored a hat-trick and an assist in the Toronto Marlies' 6-1 win over the Belleville Senators on Jan. 9.
This will be Toronto's first game against the Wild this season. Joseph Woll is expected to start for the Maple Leafs. Oh, and don't forget: the start time will be half-an-hour later than normal (7:30 ET) as the game airs on Prime Monday Night Hockey.