William Nylander Scratched At the Last Minute, Maple Leafs Announce His Replacement
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
With the Toronto Maple Leafs taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight, the team has decided to make a difficult decision involving forward William Nylander.
On Friday night against the Buffalo Sabres, William Nylander suffered a lower-body injury that forced him to miss the game the following night.
However, the Toronto Maple Leafs got Nylander back on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames, which had fans convinced that everything was business as usual.
Unfortunately, it appears as though this is not the case. According to David Alter of The Hockey News, Nylander is not going to be playing tonight.
Instead, the Maple Leafs want to manage Nylander's injury. Clearly, it is significant enough that they believe an injury could be exacerbated if he plays.
This has opened up a spot in the lineup, especially since Calle Jarnkrok is also dealing with an injury right about now.
Who is replacing William Nylander?
As David Alter reports, the replacement for Nylander tonight is going to be Sammy Blais, who has yet to make his season debut.
Ever since being picked up on waivers, he has been an afterthought for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has been a healthy scratch in every single game.
You can expect Blais to occupy a spot on the fourth line. Meanwhile, Nick Robertson will be bumped up to the first line with Auston Matthews and Bobby McMann.
The Maple Leafs desperately want a win tonight against the Blue Jackets, and now, that task is going to become a bit more difficult.
Only time will tell whether or not Nylander's absence truly puts this team at a disadvantage.
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