William Nylander Proves He's The Toronto Maple Leafs' MVP This Season
William Nylander and John Tavares (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)In the Toronto Maple Leafs’ universe, there’s a particular pecking order to the “Core Four.”
At the top is superstar captain Auston Matthews. Below him are star right wingers Mitch Marner and William Nylander, ahead of center John Tavares.
But of the group, Nylander might just be the Maple Leafs’ most valuable player this season as they look to lock up first place in the Atlantic Division and go far in the playoffs.
He had another banner night Tuesday against Philadelphia, scoring twice to cement his third straight 40-goal season and adding a pair of assists to give him 77 points in 71 games this season.
Since the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break ended, Nylander has seven goals and 22 points in 16 games. Although Marner has a team-leading 86 points in 70 games, Nylander leads the squad with 40 goals and eight game-winners.
Nylander just needs one more goal to set a career high, and he’s on pace for 46. That’s been essential for the team, considering Matthews’ drop in goal-scoring. Due to injury issues, Matthews only has 27 goals this season, one year after challenging for 70. Nylander has eight more goals than second-place Tavares and 13 more than third-place Matthews, and he even ranks second in the NHL.
Tavares also has Nylander to thank in part for his bounce-back campaign, with 65 points in 64 games. They’ve played together for most of the season, and they have 48 even-strength points each.
It isn’t only his totals on offense that make Nylander the Leafs’ MVP this season, either. The eye test also will tell you Nylander’s speed and smarts have elevated his game to new levels.
When he’s at his best, he’s cycling like a madman, using his elite skating skills to create time and space away from defenders and scoring at a career-high 17.2 percent of his shots – 4.5 points higher than the 12.7 percent he had last season.
He also has 118 speed bursts of at least 20 miles per hour, compared to Marner’s 78, and he averages slightly more skating distance per 60 minutes than Marner as well, according to NHL Edge.
“The goals are one thing, but for me, he checked really well,” Berube told reporters after Tuesday’s win. “He was on top of things. He backchecked, broke plays up and then transitioned from defense to offense. He is so quick with his agility and his speed that he creates going the other way right away.”
Just about any way you slice it, Nylander has delivered everything asked of him. In his first season of an eight-year contract worth $11.5 million annually, Nylander ensured he’s worth every penny in a fishbowl market.
Nylander’s ability to shut out the noise in the hyper-sensitive Toronto market makes him well-suited for the Maple Leafs. You’ll never see him flustered by media or his opponents. Being a part of a hockey family with his former NHL star father Michael Nylander has prepared him well for the mental and physical rigors of the pro game.
The 28-year-old is also focused more on the team than his individual achievements, as he mentioned on Tuesday.
He’s all about being focused and ready to rock when the Stanley Cup playoffs arrive. He’s slightly behind Marner and Matthews in total playoff points since 2015-16, but Nylander still has 20 goals and 43 points in 54 career playoff games. At even-strength, his 34 points are tied for the team lead with Matthews.
Nylander is in his prime right now, but there’s more room for him to grow his game. And from this writer’s perspective, Nylander is now a top-10 player in the NHL.
The Leafs lead the Atlantic Division because of their first-rate depth, but if you remove Nylander from Toronto’s lineup, the Buds could be battling for a wild-card spot.
Nylander is an essential component of the Leafs’ blueprint for success, and he’s now got the opportunity to achieve something special as part of a deep and skilled team. The stage is being set for him to do more than he’s done before, and nothing we’ve seen from him suggests he won’t be up to the challenge.
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