Former NHLer Claims Auston Matthews Is No Longer the Maple Leafs Best Player
Former NHLer Nate Thompson had a fiery take recently where he boldly claimed that William Nylander, not Auston Matthews were the Maple Leafs' best player.
Often credited as the third-option among the trio of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and himself, William Nylander is often in the background but still pulling off highlight reel goals, and being a big part of Toronto's success this season.
It's tough to imagine a back-to-back 40-goal scorer as a third option, but with the wealth of talent the Maple Leafs has, it's not unsurprising.
However, for NHLer Nate Thompson, not only has Nylander shown he's an elite player in the league, but the best player on the Maple Leafs as a whole.
I saw that Amazon thing, I saw this guy and I'm like 'This guy works his nuts off'. You add his talent and what he can do, he's elite; the way he skates, shoots, passes."
William Nylander: Superstar
While it may be a bit fiery to say Nylander is better than Matthews for sure, but there is no denying how special the Swedish forward has been for Toronto. Besides his goal-scoring, Nylander is just as elite a passer as Matthews or Marner, and has averaged over 50 assists the last three seasons.
When it comes to the playoffs, while Matthews does have 48 points over his career, Nylander isn't far behind at 43 and is just as capable of being the game-changing forward Toronto needs for success.
He leads the team with 17 goals this season, tying him for third in the NHL behind only Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl, and Brayden Point. It's not just his offensive ability either, as Nylander has improved dramatically on defense while being responsible for being worth nearly 2 goals a game.
If you want clutch factor, Nylander has five game-winning goals as well this season, and Toronto has often relied on his relentless engine to keep their momentum rolling. He's also shown a bit more of an edge, and isn't afraid to speak his mind or show how animated he can be. The kid has passion.
With Toronto clearly enamored with the skillset of Nylander, extending him for eight years and firmly declaring he is going to be one of the key parts of their success now and in the future, the sky's the limit for the 28-year old, who is now just starting to hit his peak.
It's a great sign for Toronto if Nylander can be the one to help them end their Stanley Cup drought, that will be proof he's the best player on the Maple Leafs bar none.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 9 | 1229 ANSWERS Former NHLer Claims Auston Matthews Is No Longer the Maple Leafs Best Player Who do you think is the Maple Leafs best player? | ||
| Auston Matthews | 309 | 25.1 % |
| Mitch Marner | 614 | 50 % |
| William Nylander | 263 | 21.4 % |
| Other | 43 | 3.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
