Leafs' William Nylander ruled out vs. Canadiens due to possible COVID-19 exposure
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander has been ruled out of Wednesday's game versus the Montreal Canadiens due to exposure to a possible COVID-19 case with a close contact outside of the team.
Nylander is in isolation and will be re-evaluated Thursday after the results of further testing, according to the Maple Leafs PR account.
For precautionary reasons, William Nylander will not play tonight vs Montreal as he has had exposure to a possible positive case with a close contact outside the team.
Nylander is isolating and the situation will be re-evaluated tomorrow pending the results of further testing.— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) April 7, 2021
Wednesday's game will proceed as scheduled, and Alexander Barabanov will replace Nylander in Toronto's lineup.
Nylander was a full participant in Wednesday's morning skate, while the Maple Leafs are due for a scheduled off day on Thursday.
For the time being, Nylander appears to be the only member of the Maple Leafs affected. It's been a harrowing week for the NHL as COVID-19 cases remain rampant within the league. A variant was confirmed in the Vancouver Canucks' outbreak, which has affected 25 people – 21 players and four staffers in total – as public health officials pleading for citizens to remain diligent as cases rise.
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