According to Friedman, the Maple Leafs, NHLPA, and Nylander's agent thought the scene would've made Nylander look bad.
The relationship between Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube and William Nylander is fascinating.
Over the year and a quarter that Berube has been in charge, we've seen countless interactions between the coach and Nylander where they've sputtered at each other. It's occurred during games, and we've even seen it at points when Berube talks to the media.
They have an open line of communication, which is a good thing.
In some cases, however, those interactions can turn sour. And according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, that's what happened between Nylander and former Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe at one point.
Friedman said that Keefe would often push Nylander, as Berube does, going back to their days with the AHL's Toronto Marlies after the forward was drafted by the Maple Leafs back in 2014.
"The organization has protected him a lot. He was (Brendan) Shanahan's first pick; Shanahan really protected him," Friedman said. "He was Shanahan's guy. His first-ever first-rounder, and he had a lot invested in him. They've paid him really well; that's the ultimate belief in him."
How William Nylander Has Gotten Off To The Best Start Of A Season In His NHL Career With Maple Leafs
Nylander's 20 points through 11 games put him in the upper echelon of NHL scoring this season.
During the 2021 COVID-19 season, when Amazon was following the Maple Leafs for their 'All or Nothing' series, there was reportedly a moment when Nylander and Keefe got into an argument, which was removed from the final cut of the show released later that year.
"In the first Amazon (series) they did, the 'All or Nothing', there was a scene in there that the Leafs and the NHLPA and his agent all fought to have taken out, and it wasn't supposed to happen. Like, everybody was supposed to be like, 'It's there, you have to say yes.' But the Leafs, the players' association, and the agent, it was an argument between Keefe and Nylander, and those three felt strongly it made Nylander look bad," Friedman reported.
"And initially, Amazon fought it. They're like, 'Nope.' But (the three groups) put up such a stink that eventually they won their way. So this is a marriage, and like I said, I know Nylander drives some people crazy, but he's been good for them, and they've been good for him.
"Just watching (Berube and Nylander's interactions), I wonder where this is going. Because it's boiling over in a very frustrating time for the team. If it was me, I think I would be able to handle it, but I'm not seeing 100 percent what's happening, so I can't say for sure."
This report follows Nylander and Berube being pictured passionately speaking to each other during Wednesday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. A few moments prior, Nylander was the last Toronto player back during a Blue Jackets four-on-two, which Joseph Woll ended up stopping.
Nylander has been red-hot all season long for the Maple Leafs, scoring 11 goals and 31 points in his first 20 games of the year. The 29-year-old leads the Maple Leafs in scoring and is tied for fifth in the NHL for points and tied for fourth in assists.
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