Maple Leafs Matthew Knies Diagnosed With Concussion and Ruled Out for Games 3 and 4 Against Panthers
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe also added that it is “unlikely” the player returns before the end of their second-round playoff series with the Florida Panthers.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be Matthew Knies for the next two games after it was revealed that the rookie forward was diagnosed with a concussion.
"We'd call him day-to-day beyond that given the symptoms and such I'd say he's unlikely to return in the series," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe added. "We'll give him some time to recover and see how that goes."
Matthew Knies did not take the ice for the start of the second period of Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday. The forward was slow going to the bench in the first period after Panthers forward Sam Bennett wrestled the 20-year-old down to the ice.
Bennett did not receive any supplemental discipline for the hit on Knies.
Knies has exceeded expectations during his short time with the Maple Leafs. Signed by the club to a three-year, entry-level contract last month, Knies had one assist in three regular season games. He scored his first NHL goal, a playoff goal, in Toronto's 4-2 loss to the Panthers in Game 1.
The Maple Leafs began Game 2 by shuffling their lines. After a few games in the top-six, Knies started Thursday's game on the third line with Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari.
How the Maple Leafs proceed without Knies
Knies scored his first NHL goal in Game 1 of the series and has been a key contributor in his short time in the league.
"He's proven to improve the depth of our team and we believe we're a better team when he's in (the lineup)," Keefe said. "That said we were a very good team before he arrived on the scene. We'll make adjustments accordingly and we have full confidence in our group.
The Maple Leafs opened their 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs without Knies in the lineup and they could go with an identical forward group for Game 3 in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday. Keefe also discussed 11 forward and seven defensemen as a possibility, something they only did for one game in the playoffs (a 2-1 series-clinching victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning).
The Maple Leafs are down 2-0 in their best-of-seven, second-round series with Florida.
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