The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without their superstar winger, William Nylander, for a third straight game. Nylander suffered a lower-body injury during their win Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.
The injury occurred during an awkward play with Sens defenceman Artem Zub behind the Sens net. The Maple Leafs will look to keep the good vibes going as they faceoff against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Latest William Nylander injury update
William Nylander has been progressing as he skated before the Maple Leafs' practice Thursday morning. Although it is a good sign to have Nylander back on the ice with the Maple Leafs, the severity of the injury may be more concerning than originally suspected. Nylander was originally a game-time decision against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, but has been moved to day-to-day. The Swede has been the backbone behind the Maple Leafs' offence this season as he leads the team with 14 goals and 27 assists while being a -1.
What lies ahead for the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs can't afford to be without Nylander for much longer. They are in the heart of their season and trying to climb back into a playoff spot. The Maple Leafs will need more performances like the one we saw during Thursday night's win against the New Jersey Devils. It was a complete 60-minute game from everyone in the lineup, something the Leafs have not been able to do all season long. The Maple Leafs have been lucky to pick up three points out of a possible four without Nylander; however, it will be hard to imagine how likely that is going forward.
The Maple Leafs will look to take advantage of a struggling Winnipeg Jets team, which has lost its last seven games in a row. The Maple Leafs and their fans will want to see a Nylander return for their matcup against the New York Islanders, but it is tough to see how likely that will be.