Latest William Nylander Injury Update Ahead of Clash With Red Wings

The Toronto Maple Leafs will officially be without William Nylander for Sunday night’s divisional tilt in Detroit against the Red Wings. Nylander left Saturday night’s win over Ottawa early in the second period after appearing to tweak something in his left leg while battling for a loose puck in front of the net with Senators defenseman Artem Zub.

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The video of whatever it was that injured Nylander didn’t show much, other than him leaving the ice in discomfort. He never took another shift, finishing the game with only 8:25 of ice time. Before his injury, he had scored a goal with a slick backhand that beat Linus Ullmark.

After sitting out for three games, Easton Cowan will draw back into the lineup. The hope is that he can step in effectively, as Nylander’s absence creates a temporary hole for a Toronto team in need of points. They are not comfortably in a position to call themselves a lock for the playoffs.

Before this latest injury, Nylander had 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in just 33 games played. 

William Nylander’s Outlook Moving Forward

The good news is that Nylander was labeled as day-to-day, and the injury doesn’t appear to be anything too serious. As per head coach Craig Berube, this isn’t a long-term thing. The mere fact that Nylander traveled with the team to Detroit was an encouraging sign.

Berube didn’t sound overly concerned that the issue would keep him sidelined for long.

That said, the Maple Leafs have been notoriously tight-lipped about injuries, not always giving the media a clear picture of the timelines of some of their biggest stars, including Auston Matthews and Anthony Stolarz.

His next chance to return will come Tuesday night at home against the New Jersey Devils, as they continue a busy stretch coming out of the holiday break ahead of the February Winter Olympics.

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