Maple Leafs put Knies on IR despite improvement

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies was placed on injured reserve Friday due to an upper-body injury, though coach Craig Berube said the former second-round pick is showing signs of improvement.

The decision to put the 22-year-old Knies on IR, retroactive to Wednesday, means the third-year player won’t suit up for Sunday’s home game against the Utah Hockey Club.

During Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights, Knies was hit under the chin by the shoulder of Zach Whitecloud and fell hard to the ice. Knies left the game immediately and hasn’t practiced since.

Officials deemed it a clean hit, though Whitecloud got into a subsequent scuffle with Knies’ teammate, Simon Benoit, who received a double minor. Whitecloud was cited for a two-minute roughing infraction.

In 20 games this season, Knies has 12 points (eight goals, four assists). In over 103 career games since 2022-23, the Phoenix native has totaled 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) after being drafted by Toronto in 2021.

In a corresponding move, Toronto recalled forward Alex Nylander after signing the 26-year-old to a one-year, $775,000 contract on Friday.

Nylander has 12 points (eight goals, four assists) this season in 14 games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

The Calgary, Alberta, native and brother of Toronto’s William Nylander has 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) in 121 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres (2016-19), Chicago Blackhawks (2019-20), Pittsburgh Penguins (2022-23) and Columbus Blue Jackets (2024). Buffalo made Nylander the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 draft.

In other Leafs news, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson missed practice Friday with an illness. The 33-year-old, who averages 21:09 of ice time, had an assist in Wednesday’s win and has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 20 games.

To fill Ekman-Larsson’s spot, the Leafs recalled defenseman Philippe Myers from the Marlies on Friday. Myers played 12:11 in his one game with Toronto this season, a 4-3 overtime loss on Oct. 26 against the host Boston Bruins.

Also after Berube left open the possibility Friday that forward Max Domi could return for Sunday’s game, the coach said Saturday that Domi would remain on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Domi, 29, has six assists this season in 19 games.

Field Level Media contributed to this report.