Update on William Nylander and Morgan Rielly Has Maple Leafs Fans Nervous

Following a gut-wrenching loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Maple Leafs will face those same Sabres again today, but questions remain over the status of more than one key player.

William Nylander left yesterday's game after an awkward collision with Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin. Head coach Craig Berube has now listed Nylander as a game-time decision.

Morgan Rielly's status is also uncertain, though he appears to be on the side of "likely" to play. Berube's usual vagueness does little to reassure fans, who know the impact of losing their most reliable forward and their top offensive defenseman.

Nylander hasn't missed a regular-season game since April 4, 2022. He's been the Maple Leafs' most consistent forward in the past few years, both in terms of availability and ability to put points on the board. This season, he has three goals and 11 assists in eight games, totaling 14 points.

Losing Nylander would deal a serious blow to Toronto's top-six. He's a few steps ahead of even Auston Matthews, who has 5 goals and 7 points in the first eight games.

Nylander's dynamic play and ability to create something out of nothing are qualities the Leafs have in very short supply. While Nylander isn't known for his playmaking qualities, he's shown to be capable of creating offensively.

The Maple Leafs have been exploring options to bring in a top-six forward via trade since Mitch Marner's departure. An injury to Nylander could push GM Brad Treliving to act much quicker on the trade market, especially if the injury ends up being long-term.

With the Leafs already facing significant depth issues, Nylander's potential absence highlights just how fragile their roster is, and losing him will be crucial to the future of this season for the Maple Leafs.