Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Matthew Knies will not play in Games 3 and 4 of the team’s Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series against the Florida Panthers after sustaining a concussion in Game 2, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday.
Knies, 20, was ridden hard into the boards and slammed into the ice by Panthers forward Sam Bennett in the first period of Thursday’s playoff contest at Scotiabank Arena. Bennett was not assessed a penalty on the play.
Keefe said Knies is “unlikely” to return for the remainder of the series, which the Maple Leafs currently trail two games to none. Game 3 is slated to take place at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. on Sunday evening.
The Maple Leafs dropped Game 2 by a 3–2 score after leading 2–1 after 20 minutes of play. After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round to win their first playoff series in 19 years, the Maple Leafs are two losses away from being eliminated from Stanley Cup contention.
Bennett Rock Bottom’d Knies pic.twitter.com/Zh8sblmy8R
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 4, 2023
The Maple Leafs originally selected Knies in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. The six-foot-three winger, who shoots left, signed with the Maple Leafs in April after being named a Hobey Baker Award finalist as a sophomore with the NCAA’s Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Knies collected 36 goals and 75 points in 73 games over parts of two collegiate seasons with the Gophers, helping the team reaching the NCAA men’s ice hockey championship game against Quinnipiac in 2023.
After joining the Maple Leafs, Knies collected one assist in three games to close out the 2022–23 regular season. He added one goal and three assists in seven playoff games before suffering the concussion in Game 2 against the Panthers.
