{"id":2732,"date":"2016-10-30T15:33:16","date_gmt":"2016-10-30T19:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=2732"},"modified":"2016-10-30T15:33:16","modified_gmt":"2016-10-30T19:33:16","slug":"william-nylander-proving-bigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2016\/10\/30\/william-nylander-proving-bigs\/","title":{"rendered":"William Nylander Proving his Worth in the Bigs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Toronto Maple Leafs<\/strong> are eight\u00a0games into the 2016-17\u00a0NHL<\/strong> season, and there have been quite a few stories already. The most evident, being the number one overall pick,\u00a0Auston Matthews<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>, dazzling the league by putting up 10 points (six goals and four assists) already. But let’s not forget about the most significant contributing factor to his excellence,\u00a0William Nylander<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>. Nylander has also put up 10 points (four goals and six assists) in eight games. This ties him\u00a0for first in points on the Leafs roster. It also ties\u00a0him\u00a0for third in league scoring with Matthews. Nylander has been making quite the case that he belongs in this league, even after a couple years of preparation.<\/p>\n

William Nylander Proving his Worth in the Bigs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Seasons in the Making<\/h2>\n

Nylander was drafted eight overall in the\u00a02014 NHL Draft<\/strong>. He spent two seasons in the\u00a0AHL<\/strong> for the\u00a0Toronto Marlies<\/strong>. These seasons however, only saw him play 37 games in 2014-15 (he came over from Sweden part way through the year) and 38 games in 2015-16, due to injuries and call-ups. 2014-15 saw him put up 32 points in 37 games, and 2015-16 brought 45 points in 38 games. He was an AHL all-star last season, and definitely solidified his spot as a top prospect in the Leafs organization. But the big question heading into this season was still whether or not Nylander would be able to make a successful transition into the NHL.<\/p>\n

Nylander’s Last Season<\/h2>\n

Nylander was called up to the Maple Leafs for a short stint last season after a plague of injuries. This was Nylander’s first real glimpse at the NHL level, and he did not disappoint.<\/p>\n

During this stint last season, Nylander was able to put up 13 points in 22 games, playing alongside the likes of Colin Greening<\/a><\/strong> and other similar Leafs. It is not unfair to say that the amount of talent on the Leafs last season was significantly less than this season’s\u00a0roster. Despite this, Nylander was able to make the most of it, before being sent back down to the Marlies. He did not leave the team before proving to\u00a0Leafs management that he is a capable NHL player. It was just a matter of time before he could prove that he has what it takes to excel.<\/p>\n

The Dynamic Duo<\/h2>\n

Cue the 2016-17 NHL season, and the Toronto Maple Leafs emerge as one of the youngest, and brightest teams in the league. Nylander, in addition to\u00a0Connor Brown<\/a><\/strong>, Mitchell Marner<\/a><\/strong>,<\/strong>\u00a0Zach Hyman<\/a><\/strong>, and Auston Matthews<\/a><\/strong>, were some of the first-year players on the Leafs to start the season, and\u00a0head coach\u00a0Mike Babcock<\/strong> seemed to make sure to shelter them right from the get go. The supposed “third line” of\u00a0Hyman, Matthews, and Nylander, was supposed to be eased into\u00a0bigger roles gradually. This line clearly had different plans.<\/p>\n

Start of the Year<\/h3>\n

We all know what happened next. The first game of the season against the Ottawa Senators<\/strong>\u00a0started with a bang, in which Auston Matthews set an NHL record by\u00a0scoring four goals. As magnificent as this feat was, credit must be given to Matthews’ wingman, Nylander<\/a><\/strong>, who assisted two of the four goals. This line quickly emerged as the Leafs’ top offensive line, with Matthews and Nylander both rising to the top as the team’s scoring leaders.<\/p>\n

The duo has continued to play amazingly together, with the two feeding off each other at point per game paces.\u00a0But this isn’t something that is new for Nylander. He’s been performing at a point per game pace since last season.<\/p>\n

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William Nylander's last 18 NHL games: 8 goals and 19 points.<\/p>\n

— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) October 26, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n