There might not be a single team in the NHL that can match the Maple Leafs’ top-end offense talent, which means the Bruins will have their hands full for the next two weeks.
For Game 1, though, they might have one less world-class superstar to worry about when they open a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with Toronto at TD Garden in Boston.
Maple Leafs star forward William Nylander wasn’t on the ice for practice Friday, according to reporters at Warrior Ice Arena in Boston. After the session, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe declined to offer any sort of substantial update on Nylander other than to say he and Bobby McCann — who also missed the session — are “possibilities” for Game 1.
Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving already said earlier this week Toronto won’t be discussing injuries. Keefe reiterated as much Friday, so it’s unclear what could be hampering Nylander. The forward didn’t miss a game all season, so if there is some sort of injury issue, it’s a late-developing thing for Nylander or has gotten worse since the end of the regular season.
Losing Nylander would be a major blow for Toronto, especially against a sound defensive team like the Bruins. The 27-year-old is coming off a craeer season. He played in all 82 games for the Leafs, tying a career-high with 40 goals and adding a career-high 58 assists. He did end the season marred in a slump with his last goal coming on March 26, with Keefe deploying him on the third line. That Toronto could move someone as talented as Nylander, even if he’s struggling, to the third line speaks to the amount of firepower Toronto can bring.
McMann, meanwhile, is a solid depth piece who had been skating on Toronto’s second line with John Tavares and Mitch Marner.