Is William Nylander Playing Hurt? Leafs Star Looks Off Since Return from Illness
Through the first two months of the season, William Nylander has been the engine driving the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offense. With 32 points in 22 games, he’s been producing at a level that puts him on pace to crack the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. But over the last week or so, something’s looked a little off - and it’s raising some eyebrows in Leafs Nation.
Nylander has missed four games so far this season - three in late October due to a lower-body injury, and one more recently because of an illness. While he’s since returned to the lineup, his play hasn’t quite matched the high standard he set earlier in the season. He’s been quieter, less engaged physically, and not as explosive in transition - the kind of subtle signs that suggest he might still be dealing with something under the surface.
During a recent broadcast, TSN’s Mike Johnson floated the idea that Nylander might not be fully healthy - whether it’s lingering effects from that illness or something else entirely. And there might be something to that.
Cameras caught him taking a fall in practice the day before Toronto’s last game, and while he got up and finished the skate, he looked uncomfortable and needed a moment to gather himself. It wasn’t anything dramatic, but enough to make you wonder.
Then came Tuesday night’s game, and again, Nylander didn’t look like himself. He was noticeably hesitant in physical battles and seemed to be avoiding contact more than usual. That’s not typical for a player who, while not known for grit, usually doesn’t shy away from the dirty areas when the moment calls for it.
Even in Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh, the signs were there. Yes, he notched a slick assist to Easton Cowan - a reminder of his elite vision - but outside of that flash of brilliance, he was largely quiet.
The same was true for most of last Wednesday’s game in Columbus. For the first 55 minutes, he was a non-factor, until he suddenly flipped the switch and delivered the game-tying goal and the overtime winner - the kind of sequence only a player of his caliber can pull off.
That late-game magic is why it’s hard to sound the alarm just yet. Nylander still has the ability to take over a game in an instant. But when you watch him closely, the energy level, the physical engagement, the pace - they’re not quite where they were earlier in the season.
Nylander himself hasn’t offered much in the way of answers. When asked about the illness that kept him out recently, he kept it short: “Nothing you need to worry about.” That’s a classic hockey player response - vague, deflective, and not exactly reassuring.
To be fair, Nylander’s track record suggests he’s not one to sit out unless he absolutely has to. Over the past four seasons, he’s played in 327 of 328 possible regular season games.
That kind of durability is rare in today’s NHL. If anyone’s going to push through something to stay in the lineup, it’s him.
But that’s where the concern comes in. Playing through pain is one thing - playing through it to the point where it starts to impact performance is another. And right now, it feels like we’re seeing the latter.
The Leafs can’t afford a diminished version of Nylander for long. He’s been their most consistent offensive weapon, and if they’re going to make a serious run this season, they need him firing on all cylinders.
For now, it’s something to monitor more than panic about. But if this version of Nylander - the one who’s a step slower, less assertive, and visibly uncomfortable - sticks around, it’s fair to wonder just how much he’s battling behind the scenes.