Toronto Maple Leafs provide injury update on Nylander and it doesn't sound good

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been dealt a difficult blow just as the team was finding its stride.

William Nylander logged just 2:17 in ice time on Thursday versus the Vegas Golden Knights before exiting due to injury. The 29-year-old was held out of the lineup on Saturday versus the Winnipeg Jets, and by the sounds of things, could miss a significant amount of time going forward.

"I'm not sure when he's going to be on the ice," head coach Craig Berube told reporters, while revealing that his superstar forward is dealing with a groin injury.

Craig Berube says it’s a groin injury for William Nylander: “I’m not sure when he’s going to be on the ice.”

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) January 19, 2026

This is certainly not the news Leafs fans wanted to hear, as groin injuries can often be lingering ones. It's also a very unusual situation for Nylander, who, entering 2025-26, had missed just one game over the past four seasons.

Despite being limited to 37 games so far this season, Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 48 points. His 17 goals, meanwhile, are tied with John Tavares for second most on the team.

The silver lining for the Maple Leafs is that they have been playing much better hockey as of late. After finding themselves dead last in the Atlantic Division at one point this season, they've scratched and clawed their way back into the playoff race. They currently sit one point shy of the Buffalo Sabres for a wild-card position.

With Nylander out, the Leafs will need to rely on the likes of Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and Tavares to produce. Doing so will be imperative to keeping them alive as they look to secure a postseason berth for the tenth consecutive year.