After an average season by his standards, William Nylander is off to a very hot start. The young Swedish winger looks to continue to be a valuable part of a Toronto Maple Leafs team looking for success this season after a disappointing playoffs performance.
Toronto Maple Leafs William Nylander’s Early Hot Start
After signing a lucrative contract with the Leafs which saw him being paid $6,962,366 per year for six years back in 2018, Nylander has played well. However, he hasn’t started this hot at any point in his career, and already has critics listing him as an undervalued player in the league. The 25 year old has seven goals and 13 points through 14 games so far. His production has seemed to continue from a fabulous playoffs performance which saw him put up eight points in seven games for the Maple Leafs.
One of the likely reasons for Nylander’s early success is his reunion with all-star centre Auston Matthews. The two have had success playing together in previous seasons, and head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to mix up his lines early on. This saw Nylander play on the Leafs’ top line alongside Matthews and newcomer Michael Bunting. Nylander has also been given increased ice time so far this year and has played a more prominent role on both the power play and penalty kill.
Early on so far Nylander has looked more dynamic and creative in the offensive zone. While he is not known for being a gritty, physical presence on the ice, he has begun crashing the net more in recent games. This has led him to score some more goals off of rebounds and deflections in tight. Another interesting note about Nylander’s demeanor is his attitude both on and off the ice. The Leafs’ lack of playoffs success looks to be impacting him. He seems more assertive on the ice compared to prior years.
Impact on the Leafs
Nylander’s hot start has been wonderous for the Maple Leafs, as the team has opened with a 8-5-1 record. This is good enough for 2nd place so far in a crowded Atlantic division. When Nylander is scoring like he currently is, the Leafs look like a much more dangerous team. Instead of worrying about shutting down only Matthews, opposing teams have to focus on the skilled Nylander as well. This creates opportunities for both players.
Nylander has also been an important part of the Leafs power play thus far. The once dreadful powerplay unit consisting of William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly has looked dynamic of late. The team has one of the top five power plays in the league so far and has begun moving the puck around in the offensive zone extremely well. A large part of this is due to the threat of William Nylander’s shot. With Nylander shooting and scoring the way that he currently is, opposing teams have to respect his shot. This opens up other options around him, which Nylander has been great at finding so far this season.
William Nylander has had a hot start to the season, and it has been extremely valuable for the Leafs so far. He will look to continue this play throughout the season for the team.
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