William Nylander is not the player the Toronto Maple Leafs need to lose. He's got swagger, control and a playoff clutch factor, writes Rachel Doerrie.
Marketable. Personable. Long history of star Swedish players with the franchise. Playoff performer. Value contract. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.
That’s a pretty good start for William Nylander. He’s not on the same level as Borje Salming or Mats Sundin, whose numbers hang in the rafters. But William Nylander is Toronto’s Swedish star, and Leaf fans are familiar with those. Should he remain a Leaf through his next contract, Nylander may find himself in that conversation with some playoff success.
The Maple Leafs made it to the second round and flamed out in spectacular fashion. For years, the fan base and media have wondered if the core players have what it takes to get it done in the playoffs – rightfully so. However, Nylander and Rielly have proven they do not belong in that conversation. Rielly, for his part, consistently elevates his game in the playoffs and was Toronto’s best player this spring – no question about that.
Nylander, however, has found himself unfairly lumped in with the $11-million trio.
In the last four playoff runs, Nylander recorded 29 points in 30 games. Eight are power-play points, and despite being dropped off the top unit this year, he recorded four power-play points and scored crucial goals.
He put up the game-tying goal against Florida in Game 5, the opener in Game 4 and three points in a pivotal Game 4 against Tampa in the first round. Last season, he tallied seven points between Games 4 and 6. His star teammates seem to dry up as a series wears on, but Nylander heats up. For all of the team’s playoff faults, Nylander has received undeserved criticism for his play.
By comparison, Marner tallied two points in the final four games against Tampa Bay last year. He tallied three in Games 4 to 6 this year against the Lightning but none in Games 1, 3 and 5 against Florida.
Toronto had a chance to make the series 2-1 Panthers in Game 3, and Nylander was the only core forward to record a point. In Game 5 with the season on the line, it was Nylander’s tying goal that gave Toronto life. Morgan Rielly recorded a point in four of five games and was plus-3 for the series. He’s far from the problem.
There is something innate to both Nylander and Rielly that allows them to perform in the hockey pressure cooker that is Toronto. Not every player can do it. The trope is always, “It’s one thing to do it in a smaller market – it’s another to do it in Toronto or Montreal.” Rielly has never been criticized to the same level as the star forwards as he’s always performed. Year after year, playoff exit after exit, Nylander’s name is always thrown out in trade rumors. Yet every year, he performs in the playoffs and has earned himself a spot in the same category as Morgan Rielly.
Nylander has this aura about him. It makes him the perfect candidate to handle a market like Toronto. He’s got a swagger about him – a Teflon swagger. He never seems to get high or low, and the body language remains the same whether he’s scored in five straight or has none in eight.
Surely, it’s that demeanor that leads people to believe he doesn’t care or he’s too nonchalant. But you have to be that way if you’re going to succeed in a hockey hotbed. You can’t let a hot or cold streak get to your head; remaining cool as a cucumber is key. What makes Nylander special is it’s clear that none of the noise bothers him. He strolls into the rink dressed in style, with his long blond locks and strut oozing confidence. He carries himself like nothing beats him up and nothing raises the roof.
This market can build a player up and tear one down in a flash. Not letting any of the compliments or the criticism stick with you is important. It allows Nylander to play free, to not feel the pressure that Toronto area kids like Marner, Michael Bunting and Nazem Kadri have all felt.
His emotional control is taken as a negative in this market, but it shouldn’t be. If anything, a player who is always in control of his emotions is the best thing in this market. No one is worried about Nylander losing his temper and getting suspended, taking an ill-advised penalty at a crucial moment or squeezing the stick too tight that he can barely make a pass. Sure, he doesn’t outwardly show frustration, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.
At the end of the day, Nylander’s personality allows him to succeed in a hockey hotbed. Instead of criticizing him and accusing him of not caring, he should be appreciated for his ability to keep his wits about him in the big moments. That’s what allows him to score game-tying goals in the dying minutes or take a secondary power-play role and still produce at a point-per-game level.
Nylander doesn’t let the pressure of being a Toronto Maple Leaf get to him, which is why he’s the perfect guy for the franchise to trust going forward.