Grading the Leafs: William Nylander
Ever since he was drafted 8th overall in 2014, William Nylander has had the eyes of Leafs Nation seemingly glued to him. For some, it was to put him under the microscope and to scrutinize every mistake he made. For others, he drew their attention because of how undeniably skilled he was, especially when it came to his puck possession and stick handling abilities.
As Nylander has grown, he has added more dimensions to his game, culminating in the complete player we are seeing now. I've never seen a player go from taking so much heat in the Toronto market to being almost unanimously appreciated in that very same market in such a short timespan.
What Nylander has done this season is nothing short of spectacular. He has elevated his game to the point where you'd absolutely need that microscope to detect any weaknesses in it.
Not only is Nylander enjoying a career year offensively, his two-way play is vastly improved - so much so that head coach Sheldon Keefe feels comfortable playing the 25-year-old on the penalty kill, which is something that came at the request of the player.
Nylander's 31 points in 30 games this season puts him on pace for a career-high 35 goals and 85 points, which would be an enormous leap from the impressive season he had in 2019-20, when he was on a 71-point pace over an 82 game season. The Calgary-born Swede registered 59 points in 68 games before his breakout campaign was cut short by the pandemic forcing a pause in play, which had led to an early end to the season.
"Willy Styles" has found a great deal of chemistry playing with captain John Tavares and utility man Alexander Kerfoot on the team's second line, but has really hit his stride this season on the team's top power play unit, with nearly half of his points this season coming with the man advantage.
Only Auston Matthews and John Tavares have more points on the team this season than William Nylander, and there is not one member of the team who has elevated his game more than Nylander has from last season to this one. Nylander is quickly approaching untouchable status in Toronto.
Grade: A+
There have been virtually no weaknesses to speak of in Nylander's game this season. He's elevating the players around him, he's showing a higher compete level, his takeaway to giveaway ratio is very good, recovering the puck three times as much as he turns it over and his possession metrics are near the best in his career.
While a large portion of the fanbase was quick to include Nylander in their hypothetical trade scenarios just a few short years ago, that talk seems to have quieted considerably. Now, the dynamic winger has become crucial to the overall success of the team.
His performance against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs was proof that Nylander can deliver when it matters most as well. To say that he has contributed to the success that the Leafs have had this season is an understatement. Nylander is not just a contributor. He is a masterful play-driver who has propelled the Leafs to the upper-echelon of NHL teams this season. Credit where credit is due. Nylander is a beast this season.
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