Leaf fans very unhappy with Sheldon Keefe after most recent news from Matthew Knies
Matthew Knies' arrival on the scene in Toronto at the end of last season was a pretty significant story, at least for the fans in Leafs Nation. Knies, even as a young player, is already built like a man. He's 6'3, 210 pounds and is very hard to push off of the puck. He has an NHL-caliber shot, NHL-caliber speed and showcased his exceptional work ethic in his short look in the final 3 games of last season and 7 subsequent playoff games.
Unfortunately for Knies, during the Leafs' 2nd round series against Florida, he got tangled up with Sam Bennett and slammed to the ice hard, causing a concussion and forcing him to the sidelines. However, Knies revealed this week that he would have been healthy enough to return to the series against the Panthers had the Leafs forced a Game 6 and sent the series back to Sunrise, South Florida. Knies confirmed that he had received his clearance from the doctors on the same day that Game 5 occurred in Toronto.
After Knies revealed the news, it ignited some frustration from the fanbase, knowing that Knies was healthy and cleared to return to action, but did not suit up for an elimination game in Game 5. Knies was among the most effective Leafs players in that series before he went down with an injury, even scoring his first NHL playoff goal in the series.
Some fans are now upset that Sheldon Keefe didn't attempt to reinsert Knies into the lineup for Game 5. The line of thought here from fans is if he was cleared on the day of Game 5, he should have been able to play in Game 5. We don't know the whole story, however. Perhaps he was cleared to play for Game 5 and the Leafs just told him to take an extra couple of days to ensure that he was back to 100% so as to not risk reinjury.
The thing about concussions is that once you've had one, it's easier to receive another, and then another, and then another. With what we're beginning to learn about repeated head trauma, it's almost better that Knies wasn't given the green light to return in that series. With the Leafs having been eliminated and Knies having taken some time off this summer to ensure that he was at 100% before resuming on ice activities, it may put him in a better position to thrive this season.
| POLL | ||
Should Matthew Knies have played if he was healthy? | ||
| Yes, absolutely | 85 | 41.7 % |
| No, he had a concussion keep him safe | 94 | 46.1 % |
| I'm not a doctor | 25 | 12.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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