William Nylander appreciation thread

[notDatsyuk]

winning hockey lmao

show me the wins. show me the wins!!

Without going into the tie/loser point argument, he's been a large contributor to the two best seasons (point %) in team history -2020-21 and 2021-22.

Without going into the # of games played argument, he's been a large contributor to the three seasons with the most wins in team history - 2017-18, '18-19, and '21-22.

 

[keonsbitterness]

I would trade him for the highest value return possible and then use those assets to move pieces around and hopefully build a 3rd line out of the cap savings.

So trade him for something and then trade that something for something that could turn into something. Let's do it!

 

[Woodman19]

So trade him for something and then trade that something for something that could turn into something. Let's do it!

Well I more meant that getting a package of picks and prospects is probably the highest value return we can get and then we can trade some of the picks and prospects acquired for established players who we can slot into a defined role. Also not giving up on plays and knowing where our defensive zone is would be a plus too.

 

[Gabriel426]

The Defence was not a problem over the past years and esp this playoffs.
Holl might be a problem but he is out No.6 Dman. As much as a lot here don’t like Bear, I think he is the best partner for Reilly since TJ and Muz will take the hardest matchups.
Let Gio and Lilly be bottom pairing and Lilly might even be partner with Reilly by playoffs.
Don’t really see the point of trading Willie for a Dman unless the other guy coming back is Pietra.
Trading Willie for a goalie make sense but I doubt any team would part with their No.1 goalie, maybe Vegas with Lehner?
Then it comes down to trading Willie for another physical and big winger like Stone. Would Vegas make that trade? Also Stone is 2.5mil more cap hit than Willie, where is the cap space?
Last option would be trading Willie for futures, and then use the cap to either sign UFAs or/and use assets and cap space to trade for players.
If you ask me, anyone is on the table bc the Leafs or any teams in the league is about building toward the Cup and the Current Leafs have not won the Cup. But the trade must help the team toward the Cup and not making a trade for the sake of trading in hope it will inspire the team to be better.

 

[notDatsyuk]

He was pointless through the first 3 games.

And yet he still ended the series ties for second in goals and third in both assists and points.

He had more goals and as many assists in the last four games as Matthews and Marner combined. He was also +3 while they were each -3.

Over the last four games he led all players on both teams in both goals and points.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Re-structuring the cap by trading one of the best contracts in the league though?

This guy still hasn't even peaked lol. That's one thing people are forgetting. Next season might be 90 points and saying no to sushi. Without that sushi he probably finishes the playoffs with team lead in points for second year in a row (assuming we still lose in 7)

You're not wrong, but like I said, in an ideal world you remove Tavares.

The Leafs in their current state are stuck between staying idle (i.e. fringe changes) or trading Nylander. Of course, trading Nylander will and should account for his contract + potential. He can't be given away for free.

This core needs a proper shakeup and that 7M from Nylander is a good starting point. This combined with moving out supplementary pieces will change the team's makeup.

This team's issues have nothing to do with the quality of specific players. It's the combination as a whole that's inefficient and a problem. This is why each player is protected by fans whether it's Nylander, Marner, Matthews, or Tavares. There's always someone to defend them because they put up points.

The reality is that these guys as a unit are not good enough together. Sometimes, that's just the way it goes. It's been proven against multiple opponents. Whether it's an underdog like Montreal or a favorite like Tampa, they always lose. They put their balls on the line and all it got them was a bit of respect in the handshake line.

I think it's important to act now while the assets are still in their prime.

 

[Anthrax442]

 

[Gabriel426]

The thing is someone suggested 2nd over pick plus from NJ for Willie. What if Habs called and said Anderson, Weber(LTIR) plus 1st overall for Marner? Would that be a good deal. We get Anderson and Wright. That’s a big physical RW that plays the heavy style like JT. Wright can slot in the 3C spot and bump Kampf down to 4C. Willie moves to AM’s Wing and the Leafs would still have 7mil(5mil from Marner, 1mil from the player Anderson replaced and another mil for replacing current roster player) spend on another forward or Dman. And somehow that’s end up being Kadri. Then the lineup would be,
Bunting-AM-Willie
Kerfoot-JT-Anderson
Engvall-Kadri-Wright
Blackwell-Kampf-Kase

Or it trading Willie for assets than using that money to sign Kadri? Would that be a good deal? More importantly would that be enough for the Leafs to win the Cup?

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Bertuzzi still not even vaxxed. To much uncertainty comes with that tbh. And would go against dubas' MO.

Don't think zadina amounts to much. He wouldn't find much use on the leafs tbh. I like hronek but not for nylander.

I anticipate the vax mandates to be done soon. I don't think that will hold up a trade. I think Detroit and Toronto could be good trade partners. It's a similar situation of us in 1997 getting Larry Murphy. You guys are contenders and we are rebuilding. Plus you guys have cap issues...

 

[ITM]

Don’t move him.

 

[21]

Please enlighten me, how did this happen? Nylander is not the biggest star/name in this team but how did he become the whipping boy for this loss vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions?? A number of players in Toronto (including the coach) who peformed worse than Nylander, that's for sure but he is the main issue?

 

[ZEBROA]

Please enlighten me, how did this happen? Nylander is not the biggest star/name in this team but how did he become the whipping boy for this loss vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions?? A number of players in Toronto (including the coach) who peformed worse than Nylander, that's for sure but he is the main issue?

He dont hit anything that moves and don move anything that hits... i think that summes it up or something...

 

[Maplebeasts]

Please enlighten me, how did this happen? Nylander is not the biggest star/name in this team but how did he become the whipping boy for this loss vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions?? A number of players in Toronto (including the coach) who peformed worse than Nylander, that's for sure but he is the main issue?

As you can guess having a huge fanbase also means having a lot of unknowledgeable fans. His job is to put up offense and for less than 7 million he's been more than good enough the last 2 seasons and playoffs.

 

[Peasy]

Please enlighten me, how did this happen? Nylander is not the biggest star/name in this team but how did he become the whipping boy for this loss vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions?? A number of players in Toronto (including the coach) who peformed worse than Nylander, that's for sure but he is the main issue?

Hes been the whipping boy since he came here simply because he doesnt play a "hard" game, or he looks "uninterested". Theres people that have just hated on him his entire career, its nothing new. He continues to just show up, put in work, and puts up results but thats not enough. PPG the past 2 playoffs, making only 7m a year. This is without optimum usage as well, and this playoffs he was on the 3rd line.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Please enlighten me, how did this happen? Nylander is not the biggest star/name in this team but how did he become the whipping boy for this loss vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions?? A number of players in Toronto (including the coach) who peformed worse than Nylander, that's for sure but he is the main issue?

We're Leafs fans.

He's probably the best contract we have, in terms of value per dollar, so of course he's the one we want to get rid of.

 

[Glacious]

Please enlighten me, how did this happen? Nylander is not the biggest star/name in this team but how did he become the whipping boy for this loss vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions?? A number of players in Toronto (including the coach) who peformed worse than Nylander, that's for sure but he is the main issue?

I don't think anyone is really even scapegoating him for this year's loss (Kerfoot, Holl, and other depth players were the ones who were MIA; coach deserves criticism too).

There are those that have always had issues with his perceived effort level but I don't think any rational mind can really blame him given his raw production these past two post seasons. It comes down to the fact that something needs to change, we need a different mix. I think the vast majority of our fanbase would rather get out of the Tavares contract, but that's not gonna happen. The trade talk around Nylander really just comes down to feasibility and frustration. Surely you can understand why our fanbase might be frustrated at this point.

 

[Woodman19]

We're Leafs fans.

He's probably the best contract we have, in terms of value per dollar, so of course he's the one we want to get rid of.

I find it funny the people who criticize for others quoting Fenwick and Corsi are oblivious to the fact they are constantly referencing production/$ as a players value to the team

 

[notDatsyuk]

I find it funny the people who criticize for others quoting Fenwick and Corsi are oblivious to the fact they are constantly referencing production/$ as a players value to the team

1 - I don't think I've ever criticized anyone fpr quoting Fenwick or Corsi.

2 - I don't constantly reference production/$

I find it funny that some posters' criticism is totally unrelated to the post they are criticizing.

 

[21]

Surely you can understand why our fanbase might be frustrated at this point.

Yes, I do but you lost in a very tight/good series vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Toronto Maple Leafs is definitely one of the best hockey teams in the world right now and I strongly think you should give this team another chance. Trading Nylander won't make the Leafs a better team, that's for sure. The desperate search for someone to blame is pathetic, it's what losers do. You win and lose as a team with the fanbase standing behind you.

 

[ACC1224]

Yes, I do but you lost in a very tight/good series vs the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Toronto Maple Leafs is definitely one of the best hockey teams in the world right now and I strongly think you should give this team another chance. Trading Nylander won't make the Leafs a better team, that's for sure. The desperate search for someone to blame is pathetic, it's what losers do. You win and lose as a team with the fanbase standing behind you.

I don’t know that you follow this team very closely but doing nothing is no longer an option.
They can keep running out the same unbalanced team and think things will magically get better.

 

[GojuLeaf]

I don’t know that you follow this team very closely but doing nothing is no longer an option.
They can keep running out the same unbalanced team and think things will magically get better.

Its pretty obvious the team was better this year than last year. There is literally no reason to think they wouldn't be even better next year.
Doing nothing is an option. Whiny fans who know nothing about what actually makes a hockey team win aren't going to dictate what the team does. It's not like the maple leafs are losing money.

 

[ZEBROA]

Its pretty obvious the team was better this year than last year. There is literally no reason to think they wouldn't be even better next year.
Doing nothing is an option. Whiny fans who know nothing about what actually makes a hockey team win aren't going to dictate what the team does. It's not like the maple leafs are losing money.

Maby some players (some young Swedish D etc) becomes even better next year. And M and M might be even better next year. Maby the coach learned to use Nylander more in a better role.. Na thats talking it to far. Should still be enough to win it all next season.

 

[stickty111]

Shots fired. Hopefully it was at some fans too.

 

[Kelly]

Shots fired. Hopefully it was at some fans too.

Just a thought.

I wonder how many fans who are yelling for Nylander to be traded, are the same fans who were yelling for Kadri to be traded.... and now are bitching and complaining about how well he's doing with another team.
Can we expect the same circus of fans bitching and complaining about Willy putting up 80-90 points a year on another team?

Being a Leaf fan is so much fun.

 

[Peasy]

Just a thought.

I wonder how many fans who are yelling for Nylander to be traded, are the same fans who were yelling for Kadri to be traded.... and now are bitching and complaining about how well he's doing with another team.
Can we expect the same circus of fans bitching and complaining about Willy putting up 80-90 points a year on another team?

Being a Leaf fan is so much fun.

I bet you the people that want him gone can't even come up with a realistic offer that makes sense for both trading partners. They act like you can just go out and get a Willy caliber player that plays harder and cheaper for Willy.

Can't even imagine what our bottom 9 scoring will be like if Willy is gone and Tavares' play continues to drop off.