Sweden hopeful William Nylander can return to WJC

Sweden forward William Nylander won't play Monday against the United States because of a head injury, but team doctors said Sunday they have hope that the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect will play again at some point during the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, according to the Toronto Star.

Nylander left Sweden's 8-3 win Saturday against Switzerland at 15:37 of the first period after being checked to the head by Switzerland forward Chris Egli. Egli received a game misconduct for the hit, and on Sunday received a three-game suspension from the World Junior Championship Disciplinary Panel.

Sweden doctors said after the game that Nylander, the eighth pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, was taken to a hospital. However, Nylander had returned from the hospital and wrote on his Twitter account, "Thanks for all the support and kind words!!"

"He's walking around. He's at the hotel. Let's see how he does [Monday]," Per Adolf Bergsten, one of two Sweden team doctors, said Sunday. "We'll take it day by day. [Sunday] is a rest day. He can't skate [Monday]. Hopefully he'll be back in the tournament. We have a timeline but I can't tell you what it is."

Sweden forward Alexander Nylander, William's younger brother and a top prospect for the 2016 draft, said of his brother to the Toronto Star: "He's feeling good; a lot better than after the hit. Hopefully he can be back soon. Maybe by the quarterfinals."

After playing the U.S. on Monday (9 a.m. ET; NHLN), Sweden's final two games in the preliminary round are against Denmark on Wednesday and Canada on Thursday.

"I hope to have him back [Monday] but that's not going to happen," Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg said. "It's one dynamic player away from the tournament, which is too bad for the crowd. It was an unnecessary hit to the head."

The disciplinary panel also suspended Switzerland forward Calvin Thurkauf one game for a boarding incident at 11:12 of the second period that injured Sweden forward Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles Kings). Kempe did not return to the game and was no reported update on his status for the game Monday.