Leafs’ Nylander getting up to speed at practice
Recently signed forward also gets into car crash
TORONTO — William Nylander jumps on a loose puck during a power-play drill and rifles a shot inside the far post.
That lightning-quick release is on display again a couple minutes later, the puck on and off his stick in a split second for a pair of goals off the rush.
In between those sequences, however, the Maple Leafs winger is often hunched over, his stick on the tops of his knee pads as he tries to catch his breath.
“There’s eight exhibition games for a reason and training camp for a reason,” Toronto head coach Mike Babcock said. “The league starts slow and goes faster and faster. It’s hard to arrive late.”
Nylander practised with his teammates for the first time Friday, a full week after the restricted free agent’s prolonged contract impasse ended with a new deal worth US$45-million over the next six seasons.
The 22-year-old, who along with teammate Kasperi Kapanen was involved in a minor car accident later Friday that didn’t result in any injuries, wound up playing in the Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday but was held off the scoresheet during his 12 minutes 29 seconds of ice-time.