Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Tied for NHL lead in goals
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Nylander had a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win over Boston on Tuesday.
Snipers get lucky, and that was the case with Nylander, who wired a shot from along the goal line near the left corner that went off defender Brandon Carlo's leg at the top of the crease and past Jeremy Swayman. The goal was Nylander's 10th of the season, a tally that temporarily moves him into a multi-player tie for the NHL lead. Willie's 22.2 shooting percentage is nearly double his career mark of 12.6, so expect his sniping to slow. But enjoy the ride right now.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Nets lone goal on power play
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Nylander scored a power-play goal on three shots in Sunday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Wild.
Nylander has found his goal-scoring touch again with four tallies over his last four contests. This was his first power-play point since Oct. 21. The 28-year-old forward has nine goals, four assists, three power-play points, 42 shots on net and a plus-3 rating over 13 games this season. A point-per-game pace is the minimum expectation for Nylander as part of the Maple Leafs' productive top six.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Reunited and it feels so good
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Nylander had a goal and two assists in a 6-4 win over the Jets on Monday.
Toronto head coach Craig Berube shuffled lines and power-play units, and he reunited Willie with John Tavares at 5-on-5. Max Pacioretty joined them and the results were immediate. Together, they produced four goals and five assists. Nylander had gone three games without a point, but this outburst gives him 10 points, including six goals, in 10 games. The reunion tour is a great thing for the Leafs and fantasy managers alike.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Three-point outing Monday
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Nylander recorded two even-strength goals and a power-play assist in Monday's 5-2 win over the Lightning.
Nylander went pointless in his first two games of the season, the same as Auston Matthews, but he's been on fire since then, notching five goals and seven total points over his last four appearances, including three multi-point games in that span. Nylander has scored at least 40 goals in back-to-back seasons and has recorded at least 80 points in three consecutive campaigns, so the slow start wasn't much of a concern for fantasy managers who trusted in him.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Nets power-play goal
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Nylander recorded a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Kings.
Nylander was considered a game-time decision for Wednesday's matchup after missing Tuesday's practice due to an illness, but it seems he's not feeling any effects based on his strong showing in this game. Nylander has three goals in four appearances this season and is picking things up right where he left them off after a career-best year in 2023-24, where he notched a personal-best 98 points, including reaching the 40-goal plateau for the second consecutive campaign.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Set to play Wednesday
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Nylander (illness) is expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Kings, Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun reports.
Nylander was considered a game-time decision after missing Tuesday's practice due to the illness. The 28-year-old will likely return to his usual second-line role and feature on the power play. He scored his first two goals of the season in a 4-2 win over the Penguins on Saturday.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Game-time call Wednesday
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Nylander (illness) is doing better and is set to be a game-time decision against LA on Wednesday, coach Craig Berube told David Alter of The Hockey News.
Nylander has two goals in three games this season. He's expected to play alongside Pontus Holmberg and John Tavares on the second line if Nylander is healthy Wednesday. If Nylander isn't available, then Nicholas Robertson will likely serve in a top-six capacity.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Under the weather
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Nylander is not skating Tuesday due to an illness.
Nylander should be ready for Wednesday's contest against Los Angeles, so expect an update on his status before then. The Swedish forward has generated two goals and a plus-3 rating through three contests.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Two goals help lead way
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Nylander scored twice in a 4-2 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Nylander's first goal of the season came at even strength in the second period, and he double-dipped in the third frame with an empty-netter to seal Toronto's win. Nylander has put up two straight 40-goal seasons and is coming off a 98-point campaign in 82 regular-season contests in 2023-24. He'll be targeting his first 100-point performance this campaign.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Injury not considered serious
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Nylander (undisclosed) avoided any serious injury with coach Craig Berube telling reporters Friday, "He'll be OK. He's fine. Nothing to worry about.", according to Mark Masters of TSN.
Nylander exited Thursday's preseason contest versus Montreal after a collision with a Canadien. The move to take Nylander out of the contest seems more precautionary now after hearing Berube's quotes, which is a great sign for the team and player. Nylander's first year of his new eight-year deal kicks in this season. The 28-year-old had a career-high 98 points in 82 regular-season contests with Toronto in 2023-24.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Leaves game Thursday
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Nylander sustained an undisclosed injury in the first period of Thursday's preseason game versus the Canadiens and won't return for precautionary reasons.
Nylander collided with a Canadien and appeared to hit his head, though the Maple Leafs did not specify the nature of the 28-year-old's injury. Given the precautionary label, it doesn't appear this will be a long-term concern. Nylander has gotten a look at center this preseason after spending the bulk of his NHL career as a winger.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Starting camp at center
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Nylander will start training camp at center, reports Arun Srinivasan of The Leafs Nation on Wednesday
No surprise here, really. New coach Craig Berube knows that John Tavares will be best served on the third line, and Nylander is a talented player who's willing to take on any challenge. The Leafs have tried Nylander down the middle before, and the experiments never lasted more than a few games because of Willie's defensive challenges. If successful, the Leafs would be able to spread its offense across three lines, making it even harder for opponents to defend their elite talent.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Scores both goals in win
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Nylander scored twice on five shots, added three hits and blocked two shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Bruins in Game 6.
Nylander opened the scoring late in the second period and scored again in the third, which proved to be a valuable insurance tally. The 28-year-old had been held off the scoresheet in his previous two outings after missing the first three games of the playoffs due to an undisclosed issue. He's added 13 shots on net, five hits, four PIM and a plus-2 rating while seeing top-six usage during the postseason.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Expected to play Saturday
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Nylander (undisclosed) is likely to play in Saturday's Game 4 against the Bruins, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Nylander's return should provide Toronto's lineup with a major boost as they try to even the series in Game 4. The 27-year-old winger missed the first three games of Toronto's first-round playoff matchup after posting a career-high 98 points (40 goals, 58 assists) in 82 regular-season contests.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Questionable for Saturday
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Nylander (undisclosed) said "I don't know" when asked Friday if he was playing in Game 4 versus Boston on Saturday, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reports.
Nylander was a full participant at practice Friday, including on the first power play. The Maple Leafs are really missing Nylander, who has sat out the first three games of the series. Nylander ended the regular season with 40 goals and 98 points in 82 games. He should be considered a game-time decision ahead of Saturday's tilt in Toronto.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Not playing Wednesday
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Nylander (undisclosed) is not on the ice for warmups, indicating he won't play in Game 3 versus the Bruins on Wednesday, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.
Nylander has been a game-time call throughout the playoffs, but he'll miss his third straight contest to open the Maple Leafs' first-round series. The 27-year-old's next chance to play is Saturday's Game 4 -- he may benefit from having an extra day to try to shake off the injury.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Could still play Wednesday
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Nylander (undisclosed) hasn't officially been ruled out for Game 3 against Boston on Wednesday after coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters "there's a chance" Nylander plays, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports.
Nylander stayed on the ice late at morning skate, which would normally signal he won't be ready to jump into the lineup Wednesday. When the 27-year-old forward does return, he will likely slot into a third-line role playing alongside Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg. In addition, Nylander figures to be pressed into service on the No. 1 power-play unit upon his return.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Unlikely to play Wednesday
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Nylander (undisclosed) isn't expected to play in Game 3 versus the Bruins on Wednesday, per Mark Masters of TSN.
Nylander joined the Maple Leafs for the morning skate, but he remained on the ice with projected scratch Noah Gregor after the main group left. That suggests Nylander will miss his third straight contest due to the injury. When the 27-year-old is ready to return, he might play on the third line alongside Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg as part of Toronto's effort to balance its offense.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Possible for Game 3
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Nylander (undisclosed) is a possibility for Game 3 against Boston on Wednesday, Mark Masters of TSN reports.
Coach Sheldon Keefe was unable to provide a more substantial update Tuesday because it was a travel day for the Maple Leafs. Nylander missed both of Toronto's contests in Boston to begin the playoffs because of an undisclosed injury. Still, it wouldn't be surprising if the 27-year-old forward was a game-time decision for a third straight outing. Nylander produced 40 goals and a career-high 98 points in 82 outings during the 2023-24 regular season.
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Maple Leafs' William Nylander: Out Monday
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Nylander (undisclosed) will not suit up for Game 2 against the Bruins on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Nylander was a game-time call, so he at least appears to be close to returning. He dressed in all 82 games during the regular season, racking up 40 goals and a career-high 98 points. Barring a setback, he should have a decent shot at getting back in the lineup for Game 3 on Wednesday.
