Despite practicing with the team in full on Friday, Matthews and Knies are "doubtful" to play on Saturday against Montreal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' injured list continues to look bleak.
One day after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday evening, the Maple Leafs got back to work with practice. A few injured players skated with the team, but don't appear to be ready to go against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Auston Matthews (lower body) skated with the club once again, after taking in a full morning skate with the team before facing Columbus. Matthew Knies (lower body) also practiced with the Maple Leafs, and it's the first time we've seen the forward since being a late scratch on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues.
The two players, along with Sammy Blais, who is fine after coughing up blood following a hit against the Blues, wore grey jerseys (designated for the team's scratches) during practice on Friday.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube says both Knies and Matthews are "doubtful" to play against the Canadiens. "They're out there practicing, which is good," he added.
Anthony Stolarz hasn't been on the ice since suffering an upper-body injury in the first period of a game against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 11. Berube said after the game that Stolarz "stretched out" something in the upper region of his body.
The head coach added on Thursday that the injury is "worse than we thought," with the hope that he could get on the ice before Friday's practice. That didn't occur.
‘Obviously Worse Than We Thought’: Maple Leafs Update The Status Of Anthony Stolarz
Berube provided an update on Anthony Stolarz's injury. The goaltender has yet to step on the ice since sustaining an upper-body injury in Boston.
Nicolas Roy (upper body) was on the ice before Toronto's morning skate on Thursday. It was the first time he had been on the ice since last Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Could he be inching closer towards a return?
"Probably still a ways away," Berube said. "I got no timeline for him."
As for Chris Tanev (upper body) and Brandon Carlo (lower body), it appears they're slowly getting back up to speed. Tanev has been seen on the ice as of late, but Carlo hasn't. Carlo's last game was played on Nov. 13 against the L.A. Kings. The following day, he was off for maintenance and hasn't been seen since.
Berube said after Friday's practice that Carlo could skate on Monday.
"That's what I'm hoping for."
As for Tanev, there's no change in his status after leaving a game on Nov. 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers on a stretcher following an awkward hit from forward Matvei Michkov. According to PuckPedia, Tanev was placed on long-term injured reserve.
"He's long-term," added Berube.
The rest of the team took to the ice for a skate after their loss to Columbus.
Toronto's lines remained the same as they were entering Thursday's game. After getting shifts with John Tavares and William Nylander vs. the Blue Jackets, Easton Cowan returns to the third line with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz.
This is the projected lineup against the Canadiens on Saturday:
William Nylander - John Tavares - Calle Jarnkrok
Nick Robertson - Max Domi - Bobby McMann
Steven Lorentz - Scott Laughton - Easton Cowan
Dakota Joshua - Jacob Quillan - Matias Maccelli
Morgan Rielly - Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Simon Benoit - Jake McCabe
Dakota Mermis - Troy Stecher
As of this moment, it's unknown who'll start for Toronto against Montreal. Joseph Woll stayed out later than Dennis Hildeby (which sometimes means something, sometimes doesn't), but with a few days off coming up ahead of their five-game road trip, Woll could get one more start.
He's been the starter for the Maple Leafs in their last three games. In that span, Woll has tallied one win and a .923 save percentage.
Latest stories:
'I Think It's Good For Us': Maple Leafs Try To Stay Upbeat Despite Losing 6 of Their Last 7 Games
Scott Laughton Opens Up About Second Injury Setback As He Prepares for Return To Maple Leafs Lineup