William Nylander May Face NHL Supplemental Discipline for Cross-Check to Opponent's Face

During Wednesday night's game between the Panthers and Maple Leafs, William Nylander was given a double minor penalty for cross checking Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt.

It was a vicious bit of retaliation as Nylander seemed frustrated about being taken off the puck. It's a bit uncharacteristic of the Swedish forward.

Schmidt left the game after the play, although he later returned to the ice shortly after.

It's unknown if Nylander will face a hearing for his actions, but it looks likely the play will garner a second look from the DPoS, but Toronto is hoping for the best.

The league may be a bit lenient as the hit which doesn't appear to show clear intent, and may at most only cost a fine, but could be suspended given the fact Nylander caught him in the face, even accidentally.

The NHL tends to have a bit of an anti-Maple Leafs bias when it comes to dishing out punishment.

For instance, Oliver Ekman-Larsson got a $5,000 fine for a reverse hit meanwhile Jacob Trouba goes headhunting and receives the same punishment.

It's not certain whether or not the NHL is going to punish Nylander, but Toronto can't afford to lose him, even for a game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up falling 5-1 to the Panthers on Wednesday and look to get back on track Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

They are going to need Nylander too, as Tampa is no slouch and Toronto needs a solid rebound game so they can shake off the Florida game and move on.

If Nylander is going to miss their next game, it might not be the end for Toronto, as there's a good potential the team sees the return of Auston Matthews to the lineup after nearly a month away.

In closing, William Nylander may find himself on the wrong end of the NHL DPoS and get either a fine or a one-game suspension. It's unknown what route the league would want to go down, but given that Nylander is a Maple Leaf, that doesn't look good for his future.