William Nylander’s availability for Monday’s game against the San Jose Sharks is up in the air after he missed practice with an unspecified illness.
For a Maple Leafs team already dealing with a messy injury situation, it’s another hit they didn’t need. John Tavares and Chris Tanev are week-to-week, Dakota Joshua remains out of sight, and Max Domi might never play for the team again. Through nine games, the injury list is already piling up.
Nylander, 30, has been one of Toronto’s bright spots anyway. He has 12 points in nine games and is averaging a career-high 20:38, giving the Maple Leafs the kind of offensive spark that can change a night in a hurry. If he can’t go, Toronto loses one of its most reliable finishers and a major piece of its top-six.
That would leave Jim Hiller with some tough lineup decisions, especially with Nylander and Tavares both potentially unavailable. The Maple Leafs don’t have many players who can just step into those roles and make the offense look the same, so Monday could force a different look than Toronto has used so far.
And the timing isn’t ideal. The Leafs already had Nylander against the Islanders and still came up short, so going into San Jose without him would make the task even tougher. The Sharks may not be the old version of San Jose, but this group has energy and talent, led by Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Ivar Stenberg, with Igor Chernyshov and Michael Misa adding more firepower.
Toronto will be leaning on its own young group to answer that challenge, with Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan needing to show why they’re part of the conversation too. It also sets up the first real look at the 2026 top-pick storyline, with McKenna at No. 1 and Stenberg at No. 2.
After Stenberg’s recent comments, the edge around this matchup is already there. The Maple Leafs may have to handle it without one of their best weapons.
In Other News...
Auston Matthews Is Giving Maple Leafs Fans A New Captaincy Debate
Auston Matthews has looked at his captaincy differently this season, and it has given Maple Leafs fans something else to debate beyond the usual questions about his production and the teams ceiling. There is a sense that his leadership has become more deliberate, both in how he carries himself with the media and in the way he handles his role on the ice, which has made the early read on this season feel a little different than in years past.
One thread worth watching is whether that change is happening in a vacuum or with some help from around the organization. Mats Sundins presence has been floated as a possible influence on Matthews approach, though nothing about that is confirmed, and the broader point is simpler: Matthews may just be settling into the job on his own terms. For a captain under constant scrutiny in Toronto, even a subtle shift in demeanor can turn into a meaningful storyline fast. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Suddenly Have A Jake McCabe Concern They Cant Ignore
Jake McCabes night ended early against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a stick incident forced the Maple Leafs defenseman out of the game in the first period. Toronto confirmed he did not return, leaving the team to wait for more information on what exactly happened and how serious the injury might be.
The concern for the Leafs is obvious because McCabe is such a steady part of their blue line, and any facial injury brings an immediate layer of uncertainty. Head coach Jim Hiller is expected to provide an update, but for now Toronto is left hoping the situation is not as damaging as it looked in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Blue Line Trouble Just Made This Erik Karlsson Rumor Real
Torontos injury pileup on the blue line has pushed the Maple Leafs into a familiar place this time of year, searching for help and trying to figure out whether a move can steady the back end before the situation gets worse. That search has now sharpened around Erik Karlsson, with reports linking Toronto to the Penguins defenseman as the club weighs how a high-end puck mover would fit into a lineup that has been stretched thin.
Karlsson is still producing offense in Pittsburgh, which is part of why the rumor has real legs, and the fit is easy enough to imagine for a Leafs team looking for immediate impact. The harder part is the price, and nothing has been settled yet, but this is the kind of conversation that tends to get louder once injuries force a contender to explore every possible option. [Read more 🡒]