![Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada goalie Jordan Binnington (50) makes a save against Team Sweden forward William Nylander (88) in overtime during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_224,w_4000,h_2250/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/121/01kh45dznkqs812wfng0.jpg "Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada goalie Jordan Binnington (50) makes a save against Team Sweden forward William Nylander (88) in overtime during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
The Olympic Games are well underway, with the hockey portion beginning on Wednesday. With the teams in the final stages of preparation, Team Sweden forward William Nylander was absent from their final practice as his status is now up in the air.
Sam Hallam's injury update regarding Nylander
William Nylander was injured leading up to the Olympic Games, but returned for the Maple Leafs final three games before travelling to Milan. Head Coach Sam Hallam spoke about Nylander's absence, mentioning, "It’s a maintenance thing.” “He’s done two full ice practices with us and felt after yesterday a bit sore after yesterday, so just give him an extra day. And then we’ll see for tomorrow if he’s ready to go. It’s going to be a pretty late decision."
While Nylander has become a game-time decision in their opener against Team Italy, Hallam does not seem to be overly worried, saying “I’m not overly concerned at all. He’s been looking really sharp and good on the ice for two days.” “Felt that we give him today off. I mean, it’s short-term, but we’re still in the beginning of it and have bigger games coming up, so let’s keep our priorities and focus there.”
Nylander's value to Team Sweden
William Nylander will play a critical role in Team Sweden's chances of winning gold. If Nylander is not able to play in their first contest, we will see either Pontus Holmberg or Marcus Johansson in the lineup. When healthy for the Maple Leafs this season, Nylander has been strong, tallying 18 goals and 34 assists in 40 games. Since Nylander has been in the NHL, he has registered the second-most points among Swedish players with 664 points in 725 games. For Team Sweden to reach the podium, they will need Nylander at his best.
Nylander adds a wealth of experience to Team Sweden. While this will be his first Olympics, he has represented Sweden on nine different occasions. The Maple Leafs star has the ability to lead the team and take over games when they need it most. If Nylander is not able to play against Italy, he will likely be in the lineup when they faceoff against Team Finland on Friday.