The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a crucial roster decision by placing their standout winger, William Nylander, on the injured reserve list, as disclosed by the team on Monday. This decision is effective as of December 27th. In a corresponding move, the team has brought up defenceman Marshall Rifai from the Marlies.
Nylander’s last game was on December 27th against the Ottawa Senators, where he scored a goal before exiting the game. The Maple Leafs clinched a thrilling 7-5 victory on that occasion.
The team has classified Nylander’s injury as day-to-day, and given the retroactive nature of his placement on the IR list, he will be eligible to return as soon as he is fit to do so. Toronto is set to face the Florida Panthers at home on Tuesday, followed by an away game in Philadelphia on Thursday, and a home match against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Having not missed an NHL game since the 2021-2022 season when he participated in 81 out of 82 games, the 29-year-old Nylander has shown remarkable consistency by playing all 82 games in the last three seasons.
Impressively, Nylander leads the Maple Leafs in both points (41) and assists (27) after featuring in 33 games so far.