Leafs’ William Nylander leaves game against Senators with lower-body injury
The Toronto Maple Leafs can never seem to have just a good, untarnished night.
While the Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators 7-5 on Saturday for their second straight victory, star winger William Nylander left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury, and did not return.
Maple Leafs F William Nylander will not return to tonight’s game (lower body).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 28, 2025The injury apparently occurred during a net-mouth scramble while Nylander was engaged with Senators defenseman Artem Zub.
Nylander hasn't been on the bench for some time
this seems to be the issue pic.twitter.com/CTRLa0y70P
Toronto obviously hopes the injury isn’t too serious. Nylander had been playing well in the game leading up to the injury, including scoring the game’s opening goal on the Leafs’ rejiggered powerplay.
🚨 WILLIAM NYLANDER FROM MATTHEWS ON THE NEW-LOOK LEAFS PP JUST 40 SECONDS IN!!!
1-0 BUDS
Via @Sportsnet #LeafsForever
pic.twitter.com/nBrUpsUDsJ
The Swedish national has been a bright spot in an otherwise bleak Leafs season so far. Heading into Saturday, Nylander had 13 goals and 27 assists for a team-leading 40 points in 32 games played.
If Nylander does end up missing more games as a result of this injury, it would be the second instance of him having to sit out with injury this season. Nylander missed three of four games while dealing with a lower-body injury from late October into early November. These types of injury troubles had been fortunately avoiding Nylander until this season. In the three seasons preceding this one, going back to 2022-23, Nylander played all 82 regular-season games. He missed just one game in the 2021-22 season.
Nylander is in the second season of an eight-year, $92 million deal with Toronto. Last season, he tallied 45 goals and 39 assists for 84 points. His career-best campaign came the year prior, in 2023-24, when he scored 40 goals and added 58 assists for 98 points.
The Leafs will follow up Saturday’s win by hitting the road to face the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, before returning to Toronto for a miniature two-game homestand starting with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.