The Toronto Maple Leafs earned their second straight win on Saturday night, outlasting the Ottawa Senators 7–5 in a high-scoring game at Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto’s victory, however, came with some concern surrounding one of their top forwards in star winger William Nylander.
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Nylander exited the game in the second period after a puck battle near the Senators’ net involving Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub.
Nylander went to the locker room and did not return, leaving the game after scoring one goal in just under nine minutes of ice time. The team later confirmed Nylander would miss the remainder of the matchup with a lower-body injury.
The 29-year-old opened the scoring just 40 seconds into Saturday’s outing, burying a power-play goal for his 14th of the season. He skated 8:25 over 11 shifts before suffering his injury.
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By scoring against the Senators, Nylander put together back-to-back games with at least one goal after failing to score a single point in the three games before them, and he did so coming off a four-point outing against the Pittsburgh Penguins before the holiday break.
After the game, head coach Craig Berube was asked for an update on Nylander’s injury. While the coach issued no specific return timeline, Berube issued a promising comment suggesting the injury may not be that bad.
Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) looks on.Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
“He’s coming on the trip, so that’s a good sign,” Berube said, referencing Toronto’s road trip to Detroit to face the Red Wings on Sunday. “We’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
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Nylander leads the Maple Leafs in scoring with 41 points through 33 games this season, also leading the team in assists with 27.
Toronto has struggled with injuries throughout the season and continues to fight an uphill battle for playoff positioning as the NHL nears completion of the first half of the season.
The Leafs improved to 17–15–5 with the win, are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, and will visit the Detroit Red Wings next, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.