Report: It doesn't look like Matthews will be back in Leafs' lineup anytime soon

In case you missed it last night, Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews went down with an apparent head injury in his team's OT win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Matthews was engaged in a positional battle with 'Canes forward Nino Niederreiter when he fell to the ice and was inadvertently kneed in the back of the head by a player skating by the play. He laid down on the ice until he was assessed by medical staff and then left the game and did not return.

Here's the sequence in question:

Following the game Leafs' head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Matthews will miss today's practice but he also hinted that Matthews could be out of the team's lineup a lot longer.

We’ll give it some time here to settle down and assess him properly. I had him taking a scheduled day off tomorrow anyway coming back from the All-Star Game. That will give even more time for him to get assessed and make a determination from there.

- Sheldon Keefe

Obviously if the Leafs lose Matthews for any significant length of time it would be major cause for concern. The Leafs are absolutely humming lately with a six game win streak and an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 games. And, needless to say, Matthews is a big part of this team's success.

“He’s obviously a big part of our team,” forward Mitch Marner said after last night's game. “He does a lot for us, especially in three-on-three hockey. I didn’t really see what happened. But obviously, it’s unfortunate. I’m going to try and check on him and make sure he’s all good.

“But hopefully, all is well with him.”

Obviously the Leafs are playing things cautiously with Matthews. While he missed time earlier this season due to a wrist injury, a head injury is a very different matter. The team is firmly in a playoff spot and there's no need to rush Matthews back to play until he's 100% healthy. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if he sits out a week or more.

Stay tuned, Leafs fans.