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The Maple Leafs might have dodged an open-ice hit regarding the health of William Nylander.
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The Leafs’ leading scorer departed in the second period against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena and didn’t return to the game after suffering a lower-body injury.
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Don’t go counting him out just yet.
“He’s coming on the trip, so that’s a good sign,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the game, referring to the team’s game on Sunday in Detroit against the Red Wings. “We’ll see how he is (on Sunday).”
The Leafs’ next game following the visit to Motown is on Tuesday night at home against the New Jersey Devils.
For the Leafs to stay afloat in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, they need Nylander healthy and in the lineup. After recording four points in a victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday prior to the Christmas break, Nylander opened the scoring on Saturday in the Leafs’ 7-5 win, converting a pass from captain Auston Matthews on a power play at 40 seconds of the first period.
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“I don’t know what the extent is or what happened, but he is a big part of this team and drives a lot of play for us,” Matthews said. “You’re hoping for the best.”
Among NHL leaders
The Leafs were 2-2-0 in four games that Nylander missed earlier in 2025-26. His 41 points in 33 games had him in the top 20 in National Hockey League scoring on Saturday night.
The Leafs will face a Red Wings team that lost 5-2 in Carolina against the Hurricanes on Saturday. Despite carrying a minus-5 goal differential, the Wings are hanging on to first place in the Atlantic Division with 47 points, two up on the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.
After the victory against Ottawa, one that featured little-to-no defence at either end, the Leafs remain in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, though they have moved to within three points of the second wild card in the East. There are six teams between them and that wild-card spot, which is the sticking point.
The less time Nylander misses, the better.
“It sucks to lose a guy like that, he’s so dynamic,” Matthew Knies said, “but guys stepped up and we found a way to win.”
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