More Maple Leafs injury horror: Winger Matthew Knies is out

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing yet another setback as winger Matthew Knies has been sidelined with a lower-body injury. This development came just an hour before their home game against the St. Louis Blues, adding to the list of injured players currently burdening the team. Knies, who’s been a standout performer this season despite Toronto’s rough start, is now day-to-day with this latest issue. Knies has been one of the Leafs’ top contributors, sitting third in team scoring with 22 points, which includes five goals and 17 assists in just 19 games. His absence is especially tough for Toronto, who already have several key players out due to injuries. Among those missing are goalie Anthony Stolarz, defensemen Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo, and centers Auston Matthews, Scott Laughton, and Nicolas Roy. This string of injuries has left the Leafs short-handed, forcing the team to shuffle lines and rely on limited healthy forwards. At Monday’s practice, Knies was seen skating on a line with Max Domi at center and rookie Easton Cowan on the right wing. With Knies now out, Sammy Blais appears to be the only healthy extra forward available to step in for the upcoming game against St. Louis. The timing of this injury is particularly unfortunate as the team is already grappling with a five-game losing streak, their longest since November 2019 when they lost six straight games. Earlier in the week, before Knies’ injury was announced, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving addressed the team’s struggles at a quarter-mark press conference. Despite the mounting injuries, Treliving was clear that he isn’t buying the team’s poor performance as an excuse due to these setbacks. He emphasized that injuries are a common challenge across the league and that a losing mentality shouldn’t take hold within the organization. Instead, he suggested that injuries should create opportunities for other players to step up and fill bigger roles. Treliving expressed a firm stance on accountability and resilience, noting that every player wants more ice time and responsibility. When injuries arise, it’s a chance for others to prove themselves rather than a reason to lower expectations. The Leafs now face the challenge of navigating their injury woes while trying to turn around a disappointing start to their season. With Knies out and several other key players sidelined, the team’s depth and adaptability will be tested in the coming weeks as they look to regain momentum and climb back into playoff contention.