The Maple Leafs may be without a game between the injured Max Domi and the Detroit Red Wings

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William Nylander can stand alone on Saturday nights.

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The Maple Leafs had their share of injuries and illnesses in 2023-24, so only Nylander and Max Domi played every game for Toronto.

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Domi could be off that short list when the Detroit Red Wings visit Scotiabank Arena for the Leafs' final home game of the regular season.

Domi did not practice at the Ford Performance Center on Friday, and it was not for load management reasons.

“He's got an injury,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said calmly. “It's a day-to-day situation, so we're going to leave him off the ice and see how he goes (Saturday).

Can Domi play against Detroit?

“Yeah, there's a chance,” Keefe said.

The nature of Domi's injuries was not disclosed. Simon Nemec returned from a tackle in the second period against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night and addressed the media following the Leafs' 6-5 loss.

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In Domi's absence, Keefe moved Noah Gregor to right wing on the top line with Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi. This suggests that Gregor was a fill-in for Domi, but we'll have a better idea after Saturday. If Domi can't play, Keefe could move Mitch Marner back to Matthews' right.

Given the strong bond Domi and Matthews have forged since Keefe teamed them up for a complete game on March 20 in Washington — Matthews' 22 points and Domi's 12 in the 12 games since then — it's not a dramatic development if Domi sits. Of course, if Keef keeps going like this, no one needs to be reminded of Marner and Matthews' chemistry.

Another issue for Keefe could be using captain John Tavares between Marner and Nylander. When the three teamed up against New Jersey, the lineup had 14 five-for-five shot attempts in nearly four minutes of ice time and only one was contested.

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“All three of us have skill sets, we can all make plays,” Marner said. “What made us successful when we were together was that we didn't really complicate things too much and we still did a lot of the little things right and made sure we had somebody at the net and got second chances at the net. We had some looks, but unfortunately none of them fell.”

Either way, Matthews, who has 68 goals, should still have a good shot at reaching the 70-goal mark against the Wings. He has 16 goals in 23 career games against Detroit, but was scoreless in the previous two meetings this season.

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Then there's Nylander, who has been through a dry spell trying to score 100 points in a season for the first time in his National Hockey League career. Not only has Neylander not scored a goal in his last eight games, he has just two assists in that span. So he got 96 points.

“I mean, I don't know how many games it's been since I scored,” Nylander said. “It doesn't matter to me. What's next (the playoffs) is the biggest part, but as a player you're always looking to get better. You're just not happy with what you've done.”

Still, Nylander noticed some frustration. He worked early with Dr. Haley Wickenheiser on the ice Friday.

“It's frustrating, it affects you in some way,” Nylander said of his lack of goals. “You try to get out of it by working hard and doing what it takes to come back.”

Nylander was lined up with left center Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson. Once the playoffs begin, if Keefe likes to spread out his high-end offensive talent, there's no way Nylander will focus on him and see Holmberg as his center. He is at his best when playing with Matthews or Tavares.

Connor Dewar was the 13th forward at practice on Friday. Ryan Reaves should be back after sliding in the last two games with center David Kampf and Matthew Knis.

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