Ahead of a pivotal Game 4 matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Maple Leafs are reportedly taking a major step towards a healthy roster. Earlier today, Chris Johnston of TSN reported that Toronto is preparing for William Nylander to play in Game 4.
Despite playing in all 82 games of the regular season, the Maple Leafs have been without their second-highest scorer for all of the playoffs at this point, dropping Game 1 and Game 3 against the Bruins. Being one of the major off-the-ice stories during this year’s postseason run, Nylander’s presence should give Toronto a better chance to even up the series tonight.
Throughout their first-round series against the Bruins, five of the Maple Leafs’ six total goals have come from the team’s top two forward units, with the bottom two failing to generate much offense outside of Game 1. In practice, Nylander has been skating on the team’s third line with Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg, which should give Toronto a more complete offense in tonight’s contest.
Other Maple Leafs notes:
- Unlike Nylander, one player not ready to return to Toronto’s lineup is forward Bobby McMann, who has been battling a lower-body injury since the Maple Leafs’ game against the Detroit Red Wings on April 13th. Earlier today, Luke Fox of Sportsnet reported that McMann had not been ruled out for the first-round series against the Bruins, but his timeline is still up in the air given that he has not attempted to skate since the injury.
- One lineup change that will take place for Game 4 is the swap of Timothy Liljegren for T.J. Brodie. The pairing of Joel Edmundson and Liljegren has not been very effective against the team’s Atlantic Division rival through the first three games, and Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun suggested earlier today that this is due in large part to Liljegren not being 100% healthy.
- Outside of the Maple Leafs’ postseason run, the team received some positive news today on the prospect front, as forward Nikita Grebyonkin has mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, paving the way for him to sign an NHL contract with Toronto (X Link). Taken with the 135th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, Grebyonkin concluded the 2023-24 KHL season on a high note after scoring 19 goals and 41 points in 67 games. While only managing to score three goals and six points in 26 playoff games, Grebyonkin helped his team capture the Gagarin Cup on April 24th, sweeping Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Finals.