Maple Leafs could face concerns about Nylander at Olympics

One of the biggest concerns about sending NHLers to the Olympics is injuries. Players getting hurt is a tangible risk every team faces.

While the 4 Nations proved that serious injuries can occur (think of Matthew Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy), there’s an additional layer that some teams are grappling with behind the scenes.

That subtext stems from a comment Elliotte Friedman made a few days ago. In that statement, Friedman alluded to concerns about players “holding on by a thread” in terms of injury situations.

In other words, some players, while clearly banged up, will still be playing. These guys are going to be pushing through injuries just to get the chance to play for their home countries.

“I'm beginning to think this is true...I'm wondering if there's guys holding on by a thread to get there, and then we find out after the Olympics...they're getting shut down. I hear there's a couple cases out there like that potentially.”

The first Maple Leafs player that comes to mind is William Nylander. Nylander will be playing for Team Sweden at Milano-Cortina. Now, the Leafs’ winger had missed about a half-dozen games with a groin injury. But he hit the ice just in time for the Olympics.

Under such circumstances, it wouldn’t be a stretch to suppose that Nylander isn’t 100%. He’ll still grind through the Olympics, though, as Friedman noted, could Nylander be one of the players shut down following the Olympics?

If Sweden goes all the way to the gold medal game, the additional toll on his body may warrant some time off when he returns. That scenario, however, isn’t exactly one that the Maple Leafs would like. The Leafs believe they still have a shot to make the playoffs. So, they’ll need Nylander in the lineup.

Let’s hope that this is nothing but speculation on my behalf.

As for Auston Matthews, it doesn’t look like he’s battling anything like he did during the 4 Nations last season. So, it’s fair to assume that he wouldn’t be one of the players Friedman alluded to in his comments.

The eye test will determine which of the Olympians is dealing with stuff. Sweden figures to be one of the teams most afflicted by injuries. Victor Hedman is coming back from surgery, and Gabriel Landeskog hasn’t played since slamming into the next ribs-first in early January.

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see just how much these guys are willing to push through injuries in order to shoot for gold. There’s no doubt this Olympic tourney will be one for the ages.