The Leafs have a target date for William Nylander's return

Missing since he got hurt on Jan. 16, William Nylander has been sitting on the sidelines recovering as he watches his team slip further and further down the standings with less time to work with than they had even two weeks ago.

Not close to a return yet, Nylander was seen skating which is a huge positive for the team as they look for any glimpses of hope this season, and they could very well get that hope before the Olympic break.

According to Darren Dreger, the Maple Leafs intend to have Nylander return at the latest vs. Seattle next Saturday although there is a potential he returns sooner:

That'd be a huge boost to the offense who has stagnated a little bit recently, and though he has his defensive shortcomings at times, the team is better with him than without.

Nylander has 48 points in 37 games (17 goals, 31 assists) and will look to take his momentum into the Olympics although his string of recent injuries may lead to some holding their breath for two weeks.

It would be a great help for Nylander to return sooner than later given that the Maple Leafs are mired in a terrible slump and could use the help, though rushing him back again risks a third injury in as many weeks.

It's hard road to navigate and if the Maple Leafs aren't careful, there could be an injured Nylander who not only misses the Olympics, but sits on the sidelines as his team falls apart.

But all we can hope is that Toronto is in a much better spot going into Nylander's return because it might not matter if they don't do the hard work first.

More details to come.

Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Leafs fans keep asking why puck drop is 1:30 pm, here's the real reason