William Nylander's Injury Situation Officially Revealed by the Maple Leafs
William Nylander's absence in overtime are major concerns, and we have an update regarding the superstar winger's status.
The Toronto Maple Leafs endured a thriller at TD Garden on Tuesday night as they overcame two separate deficits to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-4 in OT. Capped by a stunning Mitch Marner goal, Toronto is now riding a three-game win streak.
But it didn't come without a major cost. Defenseman Chris Tanev was seen leaving the arena in a sling after exiting the game, and forward William Nylander didn't play all of overtime and was seen clutching his wrist on the bench.
It's a massive double whammy of an injury situation and while Tanev's certainly looks a lot more serious, the team luckily avoided catastrophe.
But we now have at least a better idea of Nylander's status going forward as well.
Head coach Craig Berube updated media after the team held an afternoon practice on Wednesday.
It's a positive sign for the team, though they weren't necessarily out of the woods just yet.
A total of seven players were absent were absent from Toronto's optional practice on Wednesday sparking more injury concerns given it was a 'maintenance day' (a death sentence at times for Leafs players).
Toronto Avoids Catastrophe; Finally Getting Back To Full Health
If Nylander were to have missed a period of time, it's a huge blow to Toronto's Top-6 and would eliminate the Leafs' leading goal scorer for the time being.
But with his and Tanev's injuries seemingly minor, Max Pacioretty on the mend, and Calle Jarnkrok apparently very, very close to a return; things are starting to look up for the Maple Leafs if they can just stay healthy.
With the Maple Leafs headed into New York on Friday, then Pittsburgh on Sunday it's going to be crucial for Toronto to make a statement against New York and then get their wounded back and make quick work of the Penguins.
But they also play the next night against San Jose, so rushing these guys back before then (especially if the Rangers game goes swimmingly) may be risky and waiting that extra day could be a big factor in keeping them healthy.
This season, Nylander has 33 goals and 25 assists in 58 games while averaging 19:51 TOI.
Thankfully for the Maple Leafs they've avoided some really bad news concerning William Nylander, as he's been not only a bright spot for the team; but one of the only one's who's been able to stay healthy.
