This will be the third time Nylander hasn't been in the lineup for Toronto this season.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs roll into the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday night for a matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers, William Nylander won't be in the lineup.
"He's out tonight," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Saturday after the club's morning skate.
This will be the third time Nylander has been out of the lineup in the last four games. He's working through a lingering lower-body injury, which he picked up via a Jason Zucker cross-check in the third period against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 24.
Nylander practiced with the team on Friday, skating alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, a spot where he'd be if he were going to play. Following practice, though, both Berube and Nylander said they'd wait until the morning ahead of their game to decide whether the forward would play.
"It's on how he feels, and if he's going to be able to contribute and help us," Berube said on Friday. "He wants to play, but at the same time, like, he doesn't want to put himself in a bad situation either for himself or the team."
Berube said on Saturday morning that he's still figuring out who'll come in on the top line for Nylander.
The forward was absent from Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. His last game in the lineup was the night prior, a 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames, where Nylander had an assist on Knies' second-period goal.
Despite being out of the lineup for two games already, Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in nine games this season. His 12 assists put him fourth in the NHL.
"He's a guy that, anytime he's on the ice, he's a dangerous player for the other team with his ability and what he's capable of doing. He just provides puck play, puck possession, and threat. He's a threat," Berube said.
"He's a threat out there every time he's on the ice, whether he's making a play or shooting it in the net. Power play, too. He's obviously one of our best power play guys last year in the team. We're going to miss that there, too.
"Just in general, I think just his presence, his leadership, all that stuff is missed when he's not in the lineup."
Nylander has been a healthy player for most of his career. Before this ailment, Nylander hadn't missed a regular season game since the 2021-22 season. He's played 80 or more games in six of his 10 seasons in the NHL.
"Yeah, it sucks [being out], but I mean, there's nothing really I can do about it," Nylander said on Friday. "It's just going to need to take some time."
Where To Watch
With the Toronto Blue Jays playing Game 7 of the World Series, the Maple Leafs and Flyers' game will broadcast on Sportsnet Ontario and CBC in Canada. In the United States, you can find the game on NHL Network. Internationally, you can stream the game live on DAZN.
Puck drop is scheduled for shortly after 7:00 p.m. ET.
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