Yesterday on TSN radio, Mike Johnson joined the boys on TSN1050 OverDrive. While talking about William Nylander, the TSN Hockey Analyst made a bold prediction. stating that he feels Nylander could put up 90 points this season, which would be a new career best.
We know Nylander is an excellent hockey player, but 90 points feels like a huge number, especially considering only sixteen players out of more than six hundred in the league achieved 90 points or more last season. That said, Nylander does have a number of things working for him. For starters, he looked as good as he ever has during the preseason. And while preseason never tells the full story, it is important to remember that Nylander is only 26-years-old. Some players continue to grow offensively throughout their mid-twenties and he just put up his career high in points last season, when he produced 80 points (34 goals & 46 assists) in 81 games, showing an ability to improve year over year.
Another important factor - he will also continue to get playing time on the first power play unit, as well as thrown out in a lot of offensive situations. Additionally, throughout his career, Nylander has been a durable player and doesn't miss a lot of time due to injury. He is not really a "crash and bang" style of player, so there is no immediate reason to think that might change.
Nylander was originally drafted by the Leafs 8th overall back in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He made his debut for the Leafs in the latter half of the 2015-16 season. Since then, he has posted 343 points (137 goals & 206 assists) in 439 games. That puts him 32nd all-time in points by a Maple Leaf - a ladder he will undoubtedly continue to climb this season.
