Big update on William Nylander ahead of Game 2.

The Toronto Maple Leafs looked a little lost in Game 1 of their opening round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins, and many have pointed to the absence of star forward William Nylander as a big factor for why that was the case.

Losing a player the caliber of Nylander is always going to be an issue for any team in the National Hockey League, but in the case of the Maple Leafs this represented Nylander's first absence from the lineup in roughly 8 years. When that level of consistency is suddenly disrupted, it can absolutely cause some unexpected issues.

Although there has been no official update on Nylander's status heading into Game 2, there was a big update when it comes to Nylander's status on Sunday nonetheless. Nylander was spotted back on the ice for the first time since reportedly waking up with some kind of ailment on Thursday morning, a very positive sign for the Maple Leafs.

It was an optional skate and the fact that Nylander was feeling healthy enough to participate is yet another positive sign in the right direction for the Maple Leafs. Here is a shot of Nylander on the ice today:

We will have to wait until we draw closer to Game 2 to get an official update on whether or not Nylander will be suiting up, or missing his second consecutive game to start the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.