BOSTON — All signs are pointing toward William Nylander remaining out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup in Game 2 against the Boston Bruins.
He appears to be inching closer toward a return after missing Game 1 with an undisclosed injury, however.
Nylander’s playing status continues to be a bit of a mystery as the team has until now refused to divulge any information about his ailment or timeline to return.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe did not rule Nylander out for Game 2, noting a final decision would be made closer to puck drop. “We’ll see how he feels here the rest of the day and make a decision,” Keefe said.
But there was every indication that he would remain out.
There were hopeful signs on Monday morning, though, as the 27-year-old rejoined the Leafs for their morning skate ahead of Game 2. It’s the first time he’s participated in a full team workout since the end of the regular season.
Nylander took part in some drills but sat out others while looking on from centre ice. With the odd exception, he did not join regular line rushes and did not participate when the Leafs No. 1 power-play unit convened for morning work. (Tyler Bertuzzi took reps with the first unit.)
When the full skate concluded, Nylander went to the bench to speak briefly with one of the team’s medical trainers and remained on the ice for extra work with the projected Game 2 scratches. He was the last forward to leave the ice.
Nylander took one-timers and rushed in for shots from assistant coach Manny Malhotra. All told, he looked OK, though perhaps not at full speed. He appeared intent on testing himself more and more with his usual array of puck and agility drills before finally leaving the ice just after noon.
Nylander appeared to be in good spirits.
He grinned as Keefe rushed over to say hello and check in.
Just the fact he could get on the ice in consecutive days, after skating on Sunday at an optional Leafs practice, had to be encouraging for Nylander, who hadn’t missed a game to injury in more than seven years before sitting out Game 1 on Saturday night.
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston reported that Nylander was feeling unusually stiff the morning after playing in game No. 82 of the regular season.
His continued absence in Game 2 would obviously be a big deal for the Leafs. They scored only once in a 5-1 Game 1 loss.
Nylander was the team’s second-best player during the regular season, matching a career high with 40 goals and setting a new career high with 98 points, including a team-leading 35 points on the power play.
(Photo: John E. Sokolowski / USA Today)
