The Maple Leafs face the Islanders as point-leader William Nylander remains sidelined with a lower-body injury, marking his longest absence from the lineup in recent memory.
ELMONT, N.Y. — The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without their leading scorer for a fourth consecutive game when they face the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Saturday. William Nylander remained in Toronto on Friday as the club departed for the single-game road trip.
While head coach Craig Berube previously expressed optimism that the forward might practice on Friday, those plans shifted following the team’s gritty 6-5 comeback victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. The Leafs opted to scrap the Friday practice session and head directly to the airport instead.
“He’s progressing,” Berube noted following the team’s morning skate on Saturday. “I think he's trending in the right direction, and now my hope is maybe he's back with us Monday on the ice practicing”.
This marks the longest injury-related absence for Nylander in recent memory. His only other significant stint on the sidelines this season occurred in late October, when he missed three games following a cross-check from Buffalo’s Jason Zucker. The current injury dates back to December 27, when Nylander was forced out of a 7-5 win against the Ottawa Senators after getting tangled up with defenseman Artem Zub.
Nylander’s absence leaves a significant void in the lineup, as he currently leads the team in scoring with 41 points—including 14 goals and 27 assists—through 33 games. If he is able to return to full practice next week and feels healthy, his earliest potential return to the lineup would be January 6 at home against the Florida Panthers.
In the interim, the Maple Leafs have shuffled their top six to compensate for the loss of their star winger. Matthew Knies has moved to the right side to skate with John Tavares, while Matias Maccelli has slotted in on the left wing to round out the second line. On the power play, Knies has retained his "bumper" position on the top unit—a spot he has held since Nylander first exited the lineup.