William Nylander shows his true colours before yesterday's pre-season opener
Sunday's game against the Ottawa Senators may have been just a meaningless pre-season game to some, but for William Nylander, it was an important one, as it was his first real test as a center against top competition. The Senators had dressed their full top line of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux on Sunday, while the Leafs dressed a mostly AHL/CHL roster, aside from the Knies, Nylander line.
Nylander also took shifts on the penalty kill on Sunday, which is something that is relatively new to him, aside from a handful of shifts early on last season. But even with his new assignments, it didn't prevent the 27-year-old from doing something he wasn't paid to do; helping the team's staff bring equipment into the building.
Honestly, this might seem fairly insignificant to some, but it's not everyday that you see NHL players help staff members move gear into the arena. It's even more rare to see a star like Nylander doing it.
You have to commend Nylander for showing his humble nature and helping the team's staff even though it wasn't his primary focus. Yes, it's only a pre-season game, but it also shows us a lot about Nylander's true character. Personally, I enjoyd this gesture. It really lends to the idea that he does indeed love it in Toronto and that he may be genuine in his expressed desire to remain a Leaf for a long time.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 25 | 401 ANSWERS William Nylander shows his true colours before yesterday's pre-season opener Are you surprised by Nylander's humble nature with how big of a star he is? | ||
| Yes, I loved to see it | 200 | 49.9 % |
| No, it was pretty insignificant | 98 | 24.4 % |
| Pay him his $10M. I've seen enough | 103 | 25.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
