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Insider shares the William Nylander update we've all been waiting for
It's been an interesting few days for the Toronto Maple Leafs in relation to William Nylander missing Games 1 and 2 with an injury. Now, thanks to trusted insider Chris Johnston, we have the update we've all be waiting for ahead of Game 3.
After playing all 82 games this season, when William Nylander was not in the lineup for Game 1 or Game 2, it created a lot of confusion in Toronto, which wasn't made better by any comments from head coach Sheldon Keefe or GM Brad Treliving. In fact, they remained tight-lipped about it.
Finally, after a week of speculation, ex-NHLer Jordan Schmaltz revealed that Nylander is dealing with what he called an "upper-body ailment".
Nylander had skated on consecutive days in Boston before being ruled out for Game 2, but his status ahead of Game 3 always seemed more favourable. On Wednesday morning, TSN's Chris Johnston all but confirmed that we'll likely see the Leafs winger back in the lineup tonight.
"I'd be surprised if we didn't, just given the fact that we saw him skate a couple of times in Boston and just how hard it is to miss games at this time of the year. I think that it didn't seem to be too great of a concern around him, I would say, internally anyway. So I do think there's a high probability you'll see him on the ice here today."
After registering 98 points for the Leafs this season, Nylander has really rocketed up in the popularity standings in Toronto. He also earned himself an 8-year extension worth a staggering $11.5M per season - a salary befitting a superstar.
Nylander can absolutely be a game-changer for the Leafs in this series. The Leafs and Bruins are tied 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 set to take place tonight and Saturday in Toronto, respectively. If he's truly back to 100% health, it will increase the Leafs' odds of beating the Bruins in Round 1.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 24 | 364 ANSWERS Insider shares the William Nylander update we've all been waiting for If the Leafs make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, how many goals do you think William Nylander will score across all 4 rounds? | ||
| 5 or less | 87 | 23.9 % |
| 6-10 | 131 | 36 % |
| More than 10 | 52 | 14.3 % |
| LOL! The Leafs aren't making the Cup Finals | 94 | 25.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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