William Nylander of the Maple Leafs returns after a two-game absence
As it is Toronto Maple Leafs continue their preparations to face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena, they will get a critical component of their lineup back on the ice thanks to the return William Nylander.
Nylander missed a three of the last four games after continuing to feel the effects of a thunderous open-air hit from Buffalo Sabers forward Jason Zucker. After this morning’s skate in Toronto, Nylander told reporters he was ready to go back and that his free time contributed well to the healing process.
“I’m good, I’m ready,” Nylander said via Sportsnet. “The rest, I think, was pretty big for (the injury), so that was good.
While skating, Nylander was on the line with John Tavares and rookie Easton Cowan, who recently scored his first NHL goal. Nylander explained that Cowen is not only a smart player, but that his playmaking abilities will further complement him and Tavares.
“Obviously he was buzzing and playing really well,” Nylander said of Cowen. “It was nice to see him get that first one, he’s going to complement us and he’s a smart player, makes good plays out there….he’s going to make plays and get open and do those things.”
The puck will drop at Scotiabank Arena starting just after 7:30 PM ET.
William Nylander has missed 3 of the last 4 games for the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are still looking for some semblance of consistency in the early stages of this campaign, and Nylander’s return will only help them achieve that goal.
So far this season, Nylander has scored three goals with 12 assists and has also averaged just under 20 minutes of ice time per game.
After the hit he took from Zucker, Nylander missed one game, returned for the next, but then missed the next two contests. During that time, the Maple Leafs defeated the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers, but lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Nylander’s teammate, Tavares, scored his 500th career goal during the aforementioned upset against the Blue Jackets in Columbus.
2025-11-03 20:29:00
