William Nylander’s status uncertain for Game 2

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander appears to be a game-time decision for Monday’s Game 2 against the Boston Bruins.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe did not make a declarative decision following Monday’s morning skate. Nylander participated in the skate but did not take part in line drills.

“We’ll see how he feels here the rest of the day here and make a decision,” Keefe said of Nylander’s status via The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.

Nylander was held out of Game 1 with an undisclosed injury, after playing in all 82 regular season games. He finished with a career-best 40 goals and 98 points, while being named to his first NHL All-Star Game.

It would be a crushing blow for the Maple Leafs if Nylander is held out for the second consecutive game. Nylander’s absence was profoundly felt during the 5-1 loss Saturday, especially on the power play as the Maple Leafs failed to meaningfully test Jeremy Swayman for large stretches of the contest.

Johnston previously reported that Nylander laboured through Sunday’s practice but improved as the session went on, spending 56 minutes on the ice.

If Nylander were to play, he’d likely be slotted on the third line alongside Pontus Holmberg and Calle Jarnkrok, although given his gamebreaking offensive talent, it’s possible the Maple Leafs may deviate from their spread offense.

Calle Jarnkrok replaced Nylander on the power play in Game 1, but the Maple Leafs are making further amendments, as Tyler Bertuzzi joined the team’s top power play group Monday. Toronto isn’t expected to make any other lineup changes, as TJ Brodie appears slated to miss Game 2, while Ilya Lyubushkin stays paired with Morgan Rielly.

Nylander’s absence has disrupted the balance of the series, an all-important showdown for the Maple Leafs in this critical juncture of the Auston Matthews era.
The Leafs Nation will update this story as further developments unfold.