Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies questionable for Game 7

The Toronto Maple Leafs may well be with out a top-line winger of their must-win matchup in opposition to the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Matthew Knies has been dubbed questionable with an undisclosed damage, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, after enjoying simply 13 mins in Friday evening’s win. Knies didn’t play within the ultimate seven mins of Game 6 and appeared to be nursing his shoulder thru his ultimate few shifts.

Losing Knies could be a vital blow for the Maple Leafs on the worst time. The 22-year-old winger has locked in a job on Toronto’s peak line and peak powerplay unit over the 12 months’s 2d part. He’s tied for 2d at the staff with 5 objectives and ranks 3rd amongst Leafs forwards in reasonable ice time in 12 video games this postseason. The efficiency has come at the heels of a breakout 12 months all over the common season. Knies scored 58 issues, cut up flippantly, in 78 video games this season, whilst changing on 19.1 % of his pictures. He additionally ranked 2d amongst Toronto forwards with 182 hits. The efficiency used to be a big stride ahead from the 15 objectives and 35 issues he controlled final 12 months, and earned Knies up to 24 mins of ice time thru issues within the 12 months.

Filling Knies’ footwear would must be a bunch effort for Toronto. His absence would most probably push Nicholas Robertson again into the staff’s bottom-six, after he served as a wholesome scratch for Game 6, in spite of scoring the Leafs’ sole function in Game 5. It’d additionally push Max Pacioretty additional up the lineup and into an upgraded powerplay function, rewarding his 8 issues in 10 postseason appearances. But in a must-win recreation, boosting two slight-frame wingers most probably wouldn’t make up for Knies’ enforcing bodily presence. That may just spark extra ice time for a bruiser like Steven Lorentz, or push Toronto to lean heavier at the hard-nosed play of a celebrity like William Nylander. The shift in technique and method with the ones strikes will make Knies’ fit readiness one of the vital league’s peak storylines as Monday’s decisive matchup looms.