DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs play Thursday night in Toronto.
Game time: 7 p.m.
TV: FSD
Here are four things to know ahead of the game:
1. William Nylander is back
Nylander finally signed a contract with Toronto after a holdout that lasted until just minutes before the 5 p.m. Saturday deadline. The 22-year-old forward is expected to be in Mike Babcock's lineup Thursday night. He'll likely line up next to Auston Matthews, with whom he played this past season.
Nylander scored 20 goals and 41 assists through 82 games played this past season. He is expected to be a major offensive threat for the Leafs, who are actually doing quite fine without him as they sit in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. Adding another weapon makes them a real contender.
The Leafs moved Josh Leivo to make room for Nylander, but the team will run into cap issues in the offseason nonetheless.
2. Red Wings need a big win
The Red Wings have been turning some heads over the past month as they've successfully climbed back to .500 (12-12-4). Jeff Blashill's group has shown a real desire to be more than a doormat this season. They strung together a good November track record with consecutive wins against the Boston Bruins, a team they have struggled ...
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