Knies and Matthews skated today, and the Leafs' plan for Wednesday just became clear
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Both Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies returned to the ice Tuesday but their jersey colors at practice revealed the real update fans didn't want to hear.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been shorthanded pretty much the entire season, slogging through the first part of the season with several big injuries and no way to get themselves grounded amidst a 9-10-3 start.
We are slowly getting progress when it comes to their injured players returning although stars like Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies are still out.
What Knies, Matthews and Roy skating today actually means for Wednesday's lineup
The two have been skating consistently over the past week, a great sign they are on the mend and might be able to return sooner than later.
However, don't expect that to be Wednesday against Columbus if practice is any indication.
Leafs reporter Terry Koshan revealed that Auston Matthews was in an extras jersey, a sign he isn't ready to return just yet.
The Hockey News' David Alter also reported that both Matthew Knies and Nic Roy were also in extra jerseys.
All three men wearing specific jerseys means that they are not going to be suiting up for the team, but are still able to get involved at practice and are slowly making their way back.
It shows a different mentality when it comes to team's injuries and while it's frustrating for fans that the team currently being iced isn't up to their expectations, it's better for their stars to take extra time to get healthy -- there's still lots of time.
But much like before, we have a lack of real transparency as to when any of the players are set to return. If the two are in extras jerseys, they aren't a factor on Wednesday, but when will they factor in? The team has not provided a timeline so it's up in the air right now.
The issue with the Maple Leafs is certainly being a tad injury prone, but the real frustration lies in the lack of any information regarding injuries, and while they don't want to show their entire hand -- fans deserve to know what's going on.
This continues Toronto's season-long trend of major injuries disrupting lineup stability and it's something turning a hopeful season into a frustrating one.
So seeing Matthews and Knies back is a great sign that when they come back, things could start going in the Maple Leafs' favor.
TRENDING NOW
