Berube will either be William Nylander's rocket fuel or his kryptonite
After William Nylander hit a career-high 98 points during the 2023-24 season, there are legitimate questions about how Craig Berube's system could impact his game.
He put up 20 goals and 35 assists for 55 points in his first 37 games of the season, and was held pointless in only four of those games.
That earned him his eight-year, $11.5 million extension on Jan. 8, 2024, and put him in the discussion as one of the most dynamic offensive wingers in the National Hockey League.
His production slowed down not long after that. There are concerns about his inconsistency, lack of attention to detail and effort on the backcheck. Being +1 despite putting up 98 points could quantify that. He isn't the most physical player either.
Craig Berube's north-south system could really push Nylander to be more assertive when driving at defenders. He is an elite skater, but cutting to the interior more to generate high-danger scoring chances, plus being a little more attentive on the defensive side could take his game to another level.
The primary concern here is how Nylander will adapt to the changes and his willingness to make adjustments in his game. Nylander is not a straight line player. He's very free-flowing in nature and not at all rigid, so the concern is certainly there that he may not like his new coach implementing a system that does not allow for the same level of creativity and demands more structure.
With a new contract extension, new coach, and possibly some core pieces of the team shifting, the slate feels clean. Nylander has the potential to be one of the best wingers in the NHL. Berube can push him all he wants, but Nylander taking another step is entirely up to him.
| POLL | ||
MAI 25 | 457 ANSWERS Berube will either be William Nylander's rocket fuel or his kryptonite Will William Nylander take a step forward under Craig Berube or will Berube's rigid north-south system hamper him this season? | ||
| Nylander is great and will adapt just fine | 237 | 51.9 % |
| He's going to struggle in Berube's system | 124 | 27.1 % |
| He'll be better than ever under Berube | 96 | 21 % |
| List of polls | ||
