Is Matthew Knies injured? Auston Matthews provides update on Leafs prospect's possible injury

Auston Matthews has provided an update on Maple Leafs rookie Matthew Knies' possible injury sustained during the team practice on Wednesday ahead of the Thursday matchup against the Isles.

Knies was skating in the top line alongside Matthews and Marner. The 21-year-old rookie was reported to have been bugged with an apparent lower-body injury in the process. However, it appears that Knies has now escaped a major scare.

According to TSN reporter Mark Masters, Auston Matthews recently gave an update on a possible injury to Matthew Knies and said that it doesn't appear to be anything serious:

"Auston Matthews says he saw Matthew Knies after practice and it doesn’t appear to be anything too serious"

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke to the media and said that Knies "looks good."

The coach also did not rule Knies out of Thursday's game against the New York Islanders but mentioned that they'll have to wait for tomorrow morning to make the final call (as quoted by Sportsnet):

"I kind of saw it but it looked pretty innocent, like he just kind of tweaked something,” Keefe said. “He was obviously fearful that it was something bad but sometimes these things settle down and that seems to be the case, but we won’t really know until it really settles, probably when he wakes up tomorrow and he sees where he’s at.”

The Maple Leafs are flying high with a four-game winning streak. They're coming off an emphatic 7-1 win over the San Jose Sharks in the previous outing. With 49 points, the Leafs are third in the Atlantic Division and ninth in the overall league standings.

How has Matthew Knies fared for Maple Leafs in his rookie campaign?

Toronto Maple Leafs v Anaheim Ducks

Matthews Knies was picked No. 57 by the Maple Leafs in the 2021 NHL draft. The 21-year-old forward joined the club late last season after guiding Minnesota to the NCAA Final. He was also the finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as NCAA Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-2 forward has garnered 15 points through eight goals and seven assists in 36 games this season. He's averaged 14:31 of ice time and is on pace to finish the campaign with 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists). Last season, Knies appeared in three games, scoring one assist.