former player reveals what's going on with William Nylander

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Brett Thomas Wills
April 22, 2024 (6:25 PM)

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William Nylander was the only player for the Toronto Maple Leafs to play in all 82 games during the 2023-2024 season, and for his efforts, he had the best season of his career, but due to circumstances that everyone has been mum on, the 27-year-old right winger missed game one of his team's first-round matchup against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden Arena.

Now, just hours before game two is to commence, insider and former National Hockey League player Jordan Schmaltz believes he knows, per sources, what is going on with Nylander. Take a look:

BREAKING: Okay Folks, here's what I'm hearing per #sources regarding #88 Willy Styles Nylander. It is believed to be an upper body ailment that he's dealing with as a result of a hit taken in game 82. Not going to get into specifics or pretend to guess the full extent of the injury but obviously it kept him out of game #1 and very well could be the same for game #2. Good news is, his chin was skating at the morning twirl in a regular sweater at The TD Bank Garden. #LeafsForever    fans we'll see if he suits up tonight but as TO media reported earlier .. he was taking part of the scratches skate. Which leads me to think he isn't going tonight. Again, let's see how the afternoon progresses for the high flying Swede.

Whether Schmalz's sources are accurate in assuming what Nylander is dealing with, it is promising that he was skating in a regular sweater this morning.

Whether Leafs fans believe it or not, it is conceivable to believe that the Maple Leafs will only go as far as Nylander can carry them. Auston Matthews certainly knows how to put the puck in the net, but Nylander's growth in consistency this season should be able to be carried over into the playoffs. For now, let's just see if he'll be inserted into the lineup Monday night and, if so, if he can help a team that desperately is looking for a win so they aren't returning to Toronto down 0-2.