The William Nylander injury mystery just got answered
Photo credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
In a genuinely surprising bit of transparency, the Toronto Maple Leafs revealed it's a groin injury keeping William Nylander off the ice, with no return timeline yet.
As the Maple Leafs continue their journey towards a playoff spot, it's not going to be easy if they can't stay healthy. Already down Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, William Nylander, and now reportedly Matthew Knies -- things are getting a bit dire in Toronto.
However Nylander's injury is the most mysterious it seems, as he went down after celebrating a goal and put together a fantastic effort against Vegas but left as quickly as he arrived.
Toronto surprisingly honest about William Nylander's injury
Fans were left confused and the team was without him Saturday and won't have him on Monday either. So what's exactly happening with the star winger?
Well according to the Maple Leafs, it's a groin injury keeping him away:
Craig Berube confirmed as such at Toronto's morning skate on Monday and it's a refreshing bit of transparency from the side of the Maple Leafs management:
I don't know how long the timeline will be for him. When he feels good enough to get on the ice, and he goes out there and skates, and feels good, I expect him to be back fairly quick then. Until then, I'm not sure when he's going to be on the ice.
Far too often the team is criticized (and rightly so) for calling injuries as simply day-to-day issues, with no timeline and no real information for fans to process; they're simply 'hurt'.
But with their honesty about Nylander shedding light on things, perhaps the team is turning the corner when it comes to actually relaying pertinent information to their fans.
Why losing William Nylander matters
Nylander being hurt though and with no real idea of a return date is a death knell for the Maple Leafs, especially if they keep losing bodies.
He's is the team's leading scorer and truly put the team on his back more times than not. In 37 games, Nylander has 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) while adding a plus-one, and 14 PIM in 18:33 TOI.
Although the team enjoyed a very successful stretch without him right after the holiday break, the fact remains that Nylander's presence is a net positive for the team even if there's some concerns about his defense at times.
If there's a player who can come onto the ice and make an impact in short order it's Nylander, and we've seen time and time again that he's able to lead the charge and keep Toronto afloat.
This injury takes away a huge chunk of Toronto's potency, while also jeopardizing something very important in the near future.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 19|887 ANSWERS The William Nylander injury mystery just got answered Do you think William Nylander will return to the Maple Leafs before the end of January? | ||
| Yes | 388 | 43.7 % |
| No | 499 | 56.3 % |
| List of polls | ||