Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander appears to have avoided a serious injury after leaving Thursday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. Nylander exited midway through the first period following a collision with a Canadiens defenseman and did not return, but the team and head coach Craig Berube have indicated there’s no long-term concern.
“He’ll be OK. He’s fine. Nothing to worry about,” Berube said when asked about Nylander’s condition after the game.
Some call what Robertson did “bush league” and unwise, but others, including Robertson, said it was just a fluke thing gone wrong. The injury occurred just before the eight-minute mark of the first period. As the Maple Leafs transitioned into the offensive zone, Nylander fell after being knocked off balance by teammate Nicholas Robertson and collided head-first into a Montreal player’s leg.
The Maple Leafs (or Nylander himself) decided it was best he not return for the remainder of the game as a precautionary measure. Some believe Berube didn’t understand that decision, but that’s speculation. Either way, it led to initial worries from fans about Nylander’s status.
With the regular season approaching, the fact that Nylander’s injury is not expected to linger is a huge relief for Toronto. Toronto is going to need him if they hope to have any success this season and he’ll play a crucial role in the team’s offense. He scored 40 goals and 98 points in 80 games last season.
This might not even be a situation where the team feels they need to monitor Nylander closely. While the player has a headache and concussion history, early indications suggest he’ll be ready for the remainder of the preseason and the start of the regular season.
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