Maple Leafs' Tanev day-to-day, Nylander possible to play Friday

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube got good news on the injury front Wednesday.

Chris Tanev is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, though the defenseman is unlikely to play Friday against the New York Rangers, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

William Nylander, meanwhile, is a possibility for Friday and is dealing with a seemingly minor issue.

Tanev left Tuesday's 5-4 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins after taking a hit from John Beecher in his second shift of the first period. The veteran exited TD Garden with his right arm in a sling.

Nylander remained on the bench during the extra frame against Toronto's longtime rivals. Berube said that the star winger took some contact in the third stanza and that the Leafs were just being cautious by holding him out, according to The Hockey News' David Alter.

Wednesday was also already a scheduled day off for the Swede.

Both players have been key cogs for the Maple Leafs this season. Nylander leads Toronto with 33 goals in 58 outings and ranks second on the club with 58 points. Tanev is a team-leading plus-26 and has blocked the third-most shots in the league (151) while averaging 19:48 minutes of ice time per contest.

Berube confirmed that rearguard Philippe Myers would draw into the lineup against the Rangers if Tanev is sidelined.

Veteran forward Max Pacioretty hasn't played in the Maple Leafs' first three games after the 4 Nations Face-Off with an undisclosed issue, but he's also a possibility to play Friday.

Toronto currently leads the Atlantic Division with a 36-20-2 record.