William Nylander appreciation thread

[Willchel Marlynder]

Yeah JT and Nylander do not work. Not like Nylander has been outstanding or anything, but watching these guys together get pinned in there own zone shift after shift is hard to watch. I don't know how you can look at our second line and feel confident about it going into the playoffs. We will lose to whoever we face while Nylander and JT will be minus 5 for the series. Get these two away from each other immediately. You can put Marner with JT or move Willy to the third line it really doesn't matter. There is 0 chemistry between the two. Give JT hardworking grinders for the second line and give Nylander easier match ups on the third line. Win win.

 

[rielledup]

U realize that Nylander could win the Art Ross if he wanted too? Tavares must have nightmares about Nylander and the unknown effort levels he will bring from game to game. No ones likes unrealiable, but Nylanders insane talent cuts him slack.

One of the dumbest takes I've seen on here. You think the only thing separating Nylander from getting 120 pts is more effort? You think he's leaving 40-50 extra points on the table?

Nylander might be a 90 pt player with more effort.

 

[Shooter2x]

Nylander was the only Leaf who didn't fall for Preds physical style in the 1st period. Continuously finding a hole and getting in the zone with time and space that lead to nothing because nobody is meshing. I don't know wtf you guys want him to do if his coach refuses to make new lines. The line doesn't work, the players still do.

 

[paulhiggins]

...I don't know wtf you guys want him to do if his coach refuses to make new lines...

I would like him to hit the weight room + grow a set, instead of playing like a coward. If he could add those attributes he would reach his potential.

 

[Stephen]

I would like him to hit the weight room + grow a set, instead of playing like a coward. If he could add those attributes he would reach his potential.

Nylander at his potential basically looks like the guy in the Montreal series or earlier this season when he was on fire. A fundamentally finesse offensive player who can flirt with 40 goals and 80 points who has tremendous lower body strength but obviously isn't going to hit anyone or grit grind too much.

I think you can debate whether or not you'd prefer a Tom Wilson or a Filip Forsberg in his role or why the second line doesn't work with Tavares given their seemingly incompatible styles. And certainly things can look good one game vs Carolina and terrible the next when mauled by Nashville and that doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. But I don't you can evaluate Nylander for all the attributes he's never going to bring to the table. The GM has to decide if he has to surround him with help that can do the grit grind, or if he wants a different core player.

 

[Shooter2x]

I would like him to hit the weight room + grow a set, instead of playing like a coward. If he could add those attributes he would reach his potential.

Nylander is a gym rat his forearms are bigger than your legs

 

[ULF_55]

Nylander at his potential basically looks like the guy in the Montreal series or earlier this season when he was on fire. A fundamentally finesse offensive player who can flirt with 40 goals and 80 points who has tremendous lower body strength but obviously isn't going to hit anyone or grit grind too much.

I think you can debate whether or not you'd prefer a Tom Wilson or a Filip Forsberg in his role or why the second line doesn't work with Tavares given their seemingly incompatible styles. And certainly things can look good one game vs Carolina and terrible the next when mauled by Nashville and that doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. But I don't you can evaluate Nylander for all the attributes he's never going to bring to the table. The GM has to decide if he has to surround him with help that can do the grit grind, or if he wants a different core player.

Maybe he needs to play with two JT's?

 

[Shooter2x]

Nylander at his potential basically looks like the guy in the Montreal series or earlier this season when he was on fire. A fundamentally finesse offensive player who can flirt with 40 goals and 80 points who has tremendous lower body strength but obviously isn't going to hit anyone or grit grind too much.

I think you can debate whether or not you'd prefer a Tom Wilson or a Filip Forsberg in his role or why the second line doesn't work with Tavares given their seemingly incompatible styles. And certainly things can look good one game vs Carolina and terrible the next when mauled by Nashville and that doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. But I don't you can evaluate Nylander for all the attributes he's never going to bring to the table. The GM has to decide if he has to surround him with help that can do the grit grind, or if he wants a different core player.

Removing Nylander from the core would be the first step to becoming laughing stock of the league again. You nailed it near the end, it's about composition. Guarantee Nylanders sees that 80-90 point range if we let him go. You know how many teams are missing a Nylander. Him and Matthews are the two main forwards who had us in top 3-5 for the first 30-40 games.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Yeah JT and Nylander do not work. Not like Nylander has been outstanding or anything, but watching these guys together get pinned in there own zone shift after shift is hard to watch. I don't know how you can look at our second line and feel confident about it going into the playoffs. We will lose to whoever we face while Nylander and JT will be minus 5 for the series. Get these two away from each other immediately. You can put Marner with JT or move Willy to the third line it really doesn't matter. There is 0 chemistry between the two. Give JT hardworking grinders for the second line and give Nylander easier match ups on the third line. Win win.

I can't see Nylander on the third line working, unless it's Mikheyev/Engvall-Kampf-Nylander or something. But Nylander is not shutdown line material, so how is that going to work without moving Kampf to the 4th line? Kerfoot/Nylander centering the 3rd?

 

[mapleleaf979]

Yeah JT and Nylander do not work. Not like Nylander has been outstanding or anything, but watching these guys together get pinned in there own zone shift after shift is hard to watch. I don't know how you can look at our second line and feel confident about it going into the playoffs. We will lose to whoever we face while Nylander and JT will be minus 5 for the series. Get these two away from each other immediately. You can put Marner with JT or move Willy to the third line it really doesn't matter. There is 0 chemistry between the two. Give JT hardworking grinders for the second line and give Nylander easier match ups on the third line. Win win.

Nylander making 7 million on the 3rd line is terrible optics. Nylander is too skilled to not be in the top 6. Nylander will never find long term chemistry with anyone. He couldnt find any chemistry with Bozak, Kadri, Matthews, Tavares....its Nylander's fault. Nylander does not bring the same elements to each game in order for any line mates to know how to work with him. When Nylander is engaged he meshes with all those guys because Ive seen flashes of it. I want no part of Nylander anymore, no one trust him because unrealiable and trust dont go together.

 

[mapleleaf979]

Nylander's mindsets, I would hate to have him as a linemate. 8 hits all season. Ud think he is 5-3 130 lbs.

(1) Fully engaged- puck protection is insane, 3 takeaways in the game, multiple zone entries, puck pressure, dynamic all over the ice, unreadable, looks to be an 80-100 point player, elite playmaking skills and rare to have an extremely dangerous shot albeit inaccurate.
(2) Half engaged- is everything above but for only 3 or 4 shifts in the game, alot of fly-bys, looks off his linemates that are open, holds onto the puck too long and resets the play to the dmen at the blueline.
(3) Checked out- doesnt want the puck, doesnt care, is mentally not into the game, terrible body language like a kid forced on the ice by his parents.

From my perspectsive, over the course of 80 games u get 15 (1), 40 (2), 25(3)

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

Nylander making 7 million on the 3rd line is terrible optics. Nylander is too skilled to not be in the top 6. Nylander will never find long term chemistry with anyone. He couldnt find any chemistry with Bozak, Kadri, Matthews, Tavares....its Nylander's fault. Nylander does not bring the same elements to each game in order for any line mates to know how to work with him. When Nylander is engaged he meshes with all those guys because Ive seen flashes of it. I want no part of Nylander anymore, no one trust him because unrealiable and trust dont go together.

What was Kessel making when the HBK line took over in the playoffs? Maybe it's not a long term solution, but the JT/Nylander pairing is terrible. Some will say it's JT other will say it's Nylander. It's probably a bit of both. Regardless, they bleed goals and just aren't on the same page. If they can both play to their potential at the same time we are looking good. It's been three months since that has happened. Our "second" line is really scaring me.

 

[daveleaf]

I couldn't care less about his so called skill. You don't get a consistent player out of him. In my eyes he has been trade bait for a long time. Either a young top 4 D or a top 6 LW with grit.

 

[DraftSchmaft]

If Kadri never got suspended in the Bruins series that line was going to eat. It would make it 3 years in a row Nylander wouldnt have been an issue in the playoffs.

Hes 25 still hasn't peaked. Someone can talk all the shit they want, when it comes down to actually having to let him go, they won't. It would have to be an offer too amazing to turn down. Which is a contradiction. If you think he's worth that offer then he's not as trash as you're saying.

If someone is trading Nylander as a cap dump not even worth reading that message.

 

[ZEBROA]

Move JT up and bunting down. Three 11mill guys must be able to handle any thing. The second line would be better as long as JT aint on it and Bunting are. It is better to have two 80% strong lines then one 100% and one 15%...

 

[therealkoho]

I don’t need to read any of your posts to know that you believe Nylander is worthy of criticism to a degree I disagree with. You’re not distinguishing your level of criticism from the choir that’s calling for him to be moved or citing him as lazy or a permit er player.

I think that’s a baseless position now and as I noted, as baseless as the constant stream of calls for trading Larry Murphy.

I’ve been around the game a while as well. I’m a dyed in the wool never won a Cup in my lifetime Leaf fan…That has little to do with the worth of my opinion (or yours) other than I m able to reference Murphy at a whim and see the similarities.

What?

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Many decades from now, when Willie is a grandpa and is a multi-millionaire with no cups, he may regret not having gone balls out while in his prime.
Chances are however, he won't care that he never won a cup or that he squandered 100 point talent by playing with 45 point effort...sad.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Many decades from now, when Willie is a grandpa and is a multi-millionaire with no cups, he may regret not having gone balls out while in his prime.
Chances are however, he won't care that he never won a cup or that he squandered 100 point talent by playing with 45 point effort...sad.

I don't think he's got 100 point talent.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I don't think he's got 100 point talent.

You're mistaking talent for effort

 

[Menzinger]

You're mistaking talent for effort

Just two players paced for 100 points (or more) last season. I don't think even Nylanders biggest fans consider him to have even potentially a top 3 talent/ability in the NHL....

 

[Budz22]

Nylander haters after the trade deadline passed

 

[Stephen]

Just two players paced for 100 points (or more) last season. I don't think even Nylanders biggest fans consider him to have even potentially a top 3 talent/ability in the NHL....

Well actually, a 100 point season over 82 games requires a 1.20 PPG average, and there were 12 players who did it last year and 20 players on that pace currently.

I think Nylander is a guy who can flirt with 40 goals and 80 points in his peak on pure talent alone, but could also have a Kadri like dream season where's on his tippy toes and 100 points magically seems possible. At the end of the day what holds Nylander back isn't the skillset but he seems like a gifted player whose mind just seems to wander. Michael Nylander famously underachieved relative to his skill level too. William seems like a guy who just won't give you A+ hockey for 82 games and his B game leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Menzinger]

Well actually, a 100 point season over 82 games requires a 1.20 PPG average, and there were 12 players who did it last year and 20 players on that pace currently.

I think Nylander is a guy who can flirt with 40 goals and 80 points in his peak on pure talent alone, but could also have a Kadri like dream season where's on his tippy toes and 100 points magically seems possible. At the end of the day what holds Nylander back isn't the skillset but he seems like a gifted player whose mind just seems to wander. Michael Nylander famously underachieved relative to his skill level too. William seems like a guy who just won't give you A+ hockey for 82 games and his B game leaves a lot to be desired.

Misread the chart I was looking at.

We've had a few seasons now where Nylander has at least paced for fairly consistent production of 30ish goals and 70ish points. I think with the right puck luck he could hit close to the 40 goal mark and hit over a ppg. But I find the discussion where we're critiquing Nylander for not reaching invented point levels to be pretty silly.

He's a guy who sometimes and even frustratingly goes a bit idle in the midseason. Not the only one to do that, but in part why coaches need to keep him on track.

 

[saffronleaf]

Well actually, a 100 point season over 82 games requires a 1.20 PPG average, and there were 12 players who did it last year and 20 players on that pace currently.

I think Nylander is a guy who can flirt with 40 goals and 80 points in his peak on pure talent alone, but could also have a Kadri like dream season where's on his tippy toes and 100 points magically seems possible. At the end of the day what holds Nylander back isn't the skillset but he seems like a gifted player whose mind just seems to wander. Michael Nylander famously underachieved relative to his skill level too. William seems like a guy who just won't give you A+ hockey for 82 games and his B game leaves a lot to be desired.

just hope he shows up in the playoffs like last year. then whatever take your midseason lull.

 

[Stephen]

Misread the chart I was looking at.

We've had a few seasons now where Nylander has at least paced for fairly consistent production of 30ish goals and 70ish points. I think with the right puck luck he could hit close to the 40 goal mark and hit over a ppg. But I find the discussion where we're critiquing Nylander for not reaching invented point levels to be pretty silly.

He's a guy who sometimes and even frustratingly goes a bit idle in the midseason. Not the only one to do that, but in part why coaches need to keep him on track.

Yeah, I think people also get a little confused about Nylander and his shortcomings. He's never going to be a JT Miller, wear his heart on his sleeves kind of passionate player, but based on his skills that not really where he needs to shine. The compete level can definitely be more consistent but that's not directly related to hitting or whatever grit grind thing they think he's falling short on.

Ultimately, whether the Leafs should have Nylander in their Big 4 is another philosophical question, but I often feel like people are using the wrong checklist to evaluate him.