William Nylander takes a subtle shot at former Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe

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Tom Banks
September 20, 2024 (8:53)

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Craig Berube appears intent on shifting William Nylander to centre, and the Maple Leafs top star made some interesting comments when asked about the situation.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to make some key changes to their lineup this season, but none more so than shifting William Nylander to centre, a year after their pre-season was full of speculation they would make that move. It's a move that has seemingly been welcomed by the 28-year old star, and when he was asked about why it was happening, he revealed that while he's excited about the move, he needs a long run to figure out where his future lays.

«I'm excited. I think that I told Chief (Berube) that the most important thing is, like, you can't play just one game if you want to try center. So, we agree on that. Give it a go, and hopefully it goes well"

That was a subtle hint at the 2023/24 pre-season when he was given one game down the middle, but next Nylander threw all subtly out the window, calling out Sheldon Keefe in the process.

«What'd I play, one game? I don't know,» Nylander said with a grin.» You might have to ask my old coach about that.»

After giving Nylander a massive deal last season, the team need him to step up and pick up his responsibilities, and if the team want to find success long-term, this is certainly the move to make. When asked about the move, Berube was certainly confident that Nylander has the skills to make the shift, with the move potentially being the move to change the entire future of the Maple Leafs in Berube's first season with the team.

«Well, I think that with (Nylander's) skill set, he can be a great transporter of the puck from our own zone to the offensive zone,» Berube said. «He's strong, he's big, he's skilled. Anytime you can get somebody like that in the middle of the ice, I believe that's a real important piece.»

At this point, it's safe to say that Nylander, Berube and the rest of the Maple Leafs are full of confidence about the move, and after moving on from Sheldon Keefe, they're sticking by the move, so this will be one of the biggest stories to keep an eye on in Maple Leafs camp.