Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe announced the team is preparing for the return of star forward William Nylander in Game 4 against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Nylander has missed the previous three games of the first-round playoff series due to an undisclosed reason.
Nylander took to the ice on Friday for Maple Leafs’ practice but did not participate in the team’s optional skate Saturday morning, which is typical for him on a day he intends to play.
The 27-year-old spoke after practice on Friday, saying the reason for his absence is personal and he couldn’t confirm if he would be playing in Game 4.
Auston Matthews and Ilya Lyubushkin did take part in the skate on Saturday after both missed Friday’s practice. Matthews was out due to illness and Lyubushkin took a quick trip to California to meet his newborn daughter.
Keefe also announced that Nick Robertson will move to the fourth line while Connor Dewar sits, and that T.J. Brodie is likely to be in the lineup for Timothy Liljegren, who is not 100 per cent healthy.
The Bruins hold a 2-1 lead in the series, having won Game 3 in Toronto.
