Leafs get perfect injury update at just the right time

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the brink of disaster and while most fans are telling the team to hurry up and sell off all that they can to tank in the standings, their leading scorer is back for a full practice.

William Nylander has been out of the lineup for almost the entire second half of January, having last played in the 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Nevada. But thankfully, as the Leafs start another road trip out west as they take on the Seattle Kraken Thursday night, the 29-year-old star winger is back and somewhat healthy enough to at least take part in a skate.

William Nylander returns to practice as Leafs visit the Seattle Kraken

There is no official confirmation from head coach Craig Berube that Nylander will or will not be back, but being a full participant is a great sign. Although, as the Leafs ran through their lines, Nylander remained as an extra skater alongside Marlies call-up Jacob Quillan.

The top of the Leafs lineup remains in-tact as Max Domi and Bobby McMann are flanking Auston Matthews and John Tavares centering Matthew Knies and Matias Maccelli with Nylander still not healthy enough for some game action.

Depending on how you want the rest of the Leafs season to go, Nylander returning to bring some true firepower back into this lineup could be either great or devastating news. The Leafs are certainly more likely to win more hockey games than the last week with Nylander back in the lineup -- at least better than their 0-4-1 homestand -- but that will have to wait for at least one more game.

The Maple Leafs are now eight points out of a playoff spot and are just seven points from the bottom of the Eastern Conference.