As mentioned in the last game preview, Nylander’s return (#29 returns in game #29!) is a huge boost for the makeup of the entire Leafs lineup, elevating their forward depth to a level that only teams like Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, and Pittsburgh can come close to rivalling.
As a reminder of what kind of player the Leafs are getting back in their lineup, there is some great data here from Mike Kelly that agrees with the eye test on the many strengths of Nylander’s game: How effective of a puck transporter he is traversing three zones, his skills as a play creator in the offensive zone, and his puck-tracking ability through the neutral zone that generates takeaways with the skills to turn them into instant offense transitioning the other way.