‘He’s Capable Of That’: William Nylander Makes It Look Easy In Return From Six-Game Layoff As Maple Leafs Blank Canucks

Typically, a six-game layoff due to injury would be reason to not expect muchj from an NHL player in their return. But William Nylander threw that narrative out the window.

Toronto’s top point-getter scored a goal and added two assists in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 5-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Nylander didn’t go into specifics about the lower-body injury he had sustained that kept him out for his longest stretch of the season, saying he underwent rehab to prepare himself to make his return. He improved his point total to 44 over 34 games played, four points more than the next best player in John Tavares (40).

The Leafs didn’t lose a game in regulation during the six-game span without the Swede, but that didn’t matter, either. He was fully engaged and the completed player that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube expected he would be, making it look easy against the Canucks.

“He's capable of that, “Berube said along with a laugh in amazement. “He's a skilled guy. He's got a lot of talent. And tonight, Willy, for me, he got three points. And for me, it was the work. hewas skating. He was backchecking, stripping people of pucks. And when he does that stuff, he can be a great player.”

Nylander returned to play on a line with Tavares and Matias Maccelli. Nylander picked up an assist on Matias Maccelli’s power play goal in the first period that opened the scoring.

“I think just reading the play, his timing, his awareness of all those things, that's why he's an elite player,” Tavares said of Nylander. "Just makes great plays, and whether it's in open ice when he has a lot of time in space, or even just keeping pucks alive and forechecking and things like that, his ability to understand the play, the way it develops, and how to read it, and obviously, make those plays is exceptional.”

The Leafs have picked up seven straight wins at home and have picked up 16 out of a possible 18 points in the standings. Nylander wasn’t the only player to return from injury as Jake McCabe returned from an undisclosed injury he suffered last week against the New York Islanders.

Toronto is getting healthier, and they are playing their best hockey in some time. Now they have to try to do it against some difficult teams out west, beginning Monday against the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.