'He's One of the Best Players in the League Right Now': Everyone's Talking About William Nylander
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
William Nylander has always been in the upper echelon of NHL talent, however his current season has many believing he's part of the elite.
Often viewed as the third piece to the Matthews/Marner duo, William Nylander has emerged recently as one of the best and most consistent goal-scorers in the world, coming into 2025 with three straight 40+ goal seasons.
His season this year has been even better, and with 20 points through 11 games, he's shown no signs of slowing down and has evolved his game from goal-scoring phenom to complete well-rounded threat.
Given much more on his plate with Marner's departure, the Swedish forward has kept up his end of the bargain and shown fans that this is still a team to cheer for and who can truly make a push.
Analysts and Fans Agree: Nylander's Taken the Next Step
His play has caught the attention of many around the league, and for a couple of analysts in Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee; he's stamped his name as part of the elite.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Real Kyper and Bourne Show, the three analysts gushed about Nylander and how good he has become not just over the years, but this season specifically:
I think Willy understands that 'Hey, I'm going to be looked at a lot more' and can't get into the lulls of the past.
I think he understands that this time can be rough for people, and you know Matthews and Nylander understand that they just lost a guy who left because at times it wasn't very comfortable for him. - Justin Bourne
But right now what he's doing is brilliant. Top five in scoring, leads the league in even strength points, I'm surprised it's gotten to this point, like I always thought he was a good player, but for him to get where he is now, I mean, he's one of the best players in the league at this point. - Sam McKee
I think he understands that this time can be rough for people, and you know Matthews and Nylander understand that they just lost a guy who left because at times it wasn't very comfortable for him. - Justin Bourne
But right now what he's doing is brilliant. Top five in scoring, leads the league in even strength points, I'm surprised it's gotten to this point, like I always thought he was a good player, but for him to get where he is now, I mean, he's one of the best players in the league at this point. - Sam McKee
So is Nylander actually one of the best in the league as Kyper, Bourne and McKee believe?
Why This Version of Nylander Changes Everything for Toronto
Having someone who can pick up the slack for Mitch Marner was always going to be a question heading into this season, but it looks like Nylander has decided he can be that playmaking dynamo.
If we get a version of Nylander who can put up 50-60 assists per season now, that will only make his 40+ goal seasons more impressive, and though he's not lighting the lamp as frequently as we hope but his six goals are third on the team.
While we have to wait and see how the rest of the season turns out, and what version of Nylander we get in the playoffs, however what we've seen so far is nothing short of impressive.
It also helps with the team trying to find a top-six player, as they might not necessarily need to go after a playmaking forward and can focus on adding in other areas thanks to Nylander's assistance.
The season has been nothing short of great for the Toronto Maple Leafs at least when it comes to the growth of their Swedish superstar.
And it looks like we've only scratched the surface of what he's really able to bring each night.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 7|905 ANSWERS 'He's One of the Best Players in the League Right Now': Everyone's Talking About William Nylander Do you think William Nylander can score 100+ points? | ||
| Yes | 761 | 84.1 % |
| No | 144 | 15.9 % |
| List of polls | ||