Player Discussion William Nylander

[ULF_55]

I can't be bothered to look it up ATM so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

The pattern established over 8 years now is that Marner is ~100 point player for the first 86 games of the season, then he turns into a ~40 point player. It has nothing to do with over the glass goofs - paying Marner like he's one of the best players in the league and him turning into a 40 point player once players have settled into playoff hockey, that's the problem.

Recent history is even worse. IIRC, the first 4 games against TB in 2023 he had 9 points but he's been a ~40 point player in the playoffs since then and that includes 2 full series.

It seems obvious that recent history carries more weight that what happened many years ago, and based on recent history, Marner is not a player who you can count on in the playoffs.

Great player in the regular season for sure. If we had no playoff ambitions whatsoever, I'd have no problem paying him top dollar. He puts up points, plays solid defence and he's probably one of the most fun to watch players in the league. After game 86 though, no offence but he sucks. I mean, he's still maybe played at a middle 6 forward level or something but for an 11 million dollar forward, he sucks. The future hasn't happened yet so maybe he changes the narrative, doesn't seem too likely though.

Using minimum 20 Game Played so it covers (in most cases) greater than a single season. Now if a player went on a long run (semi finals example) it might skew player positioning, but not within the Leafs team itself.

For his last contract Nylander was 2nd. on the team for points per game in the playoffs. During that contract Matthews had the highest points per game for the team.

At their contract price points, you'd have to give the nod to Nylander for earning his Cap suck in the post season. He performed in his snack bracket, whereas Matthews snack bracket was Top 10 compensation in the league, other than year 1 of Nylander's deal.

So let's use Matthews contract dates for the same comparison:

Again, Nylander is 2nd. on the team to Matthews, during Matthews contract. Matthews performance in the post season has increased to 1.00 PPG, 16th. league wide.

I think most of the players ahead of Matthews are acknowledged as extremely good performers.

 

[Hallonbroder]

Williams’s doing his old “After Christmas, I’m just gonna chill”-thing again I recon?

 

[BraveCanadian]

Williams’s doing his old “After Christmas, I’m just gonna chill”-thing again I recon?

Outside his little stretch last year to get paid, this is Nylander. He did have a couple of nice plays but floating is his game.

 

[ACC1224]

Outside his little stretch last year to get paid, this is Nylander. He did have a couple of nice plays but floating is his game.

Apparently he doesn’t float at times, it’s just that his skating is so effortless it just looks that way. Only a trained eye can tell the difference

 

[ER89]

Outside his little stretch last year to get paid, this is Nylander. He did have a couple of nice plays but floating is his game.

Yeah same one who actually scores when the chips are down in games 5,6,7.

I'd rather pay for that then just regular season prowess.

 

[ACC1224]

Yeah same one who actually scores when the chips are down in games 5,6,7.

I'd rather pay for that then just regular season prowess.

Why 'rather' one more than the other? Most would/should want both.

 

[Hallonbroder]

Outside his little stretch last year to get paid, this is Nylander. He did have a couple of nice plays but floating is his game.

He’s kinda like the opposite of Marner then I suppose!

 

[Dough72]

he was not good in the playoffs last year. His three goals included a flip from the blueline that bounced in off someone's ass and an open net goal when a Bruin tripped in the corner.

 

[ULF_55]

he was not good in the playoffs last year. His three goals included a flip from the blueline that bounced in off someone's ass and an open net goal when a Bruin tripped in the corner.

Efficient and succinct.

While others are hurry - scurry accomplish nothing he throws in 3 goals to lead the team while smoking a cigar at center ice.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

Outside his little stretch last year to get paid, this is Nylander. He did have a couple of nice plays but floating is his game.

I don’t agree with that

Two years ago he had 79 in 66, that’s a 97 point pace, that’s around what Marner puts up every year, he was then taken off pp1 for OReilly and even had games playing third line with kampf prior to the trade.

So in b2b years he’s had 93 in 69 and 79 in 66, so I don’t think your assessment is accurate

I think a month of floating costs his rest of the season

he was not good in the playoffs last year. His three goals included a flip from the blueline that bounced in off someone's ass and an open net goal when a Bruin tripped in the corner.

He and knies were the only guys on the team to beat Swayman more than once, and he did it three times

That’s not a bad series.

 

[ER89]

Why 'rather' one more than the other? Most would/should want both.

It sucks but unfortunately with these idiots we can only get one or the other.

None of the core four, and i mean none have the spine or the desire or the competitiveness of a mack, MCD, Kuch, point etc guys. And it shows.

Unless it comes to contract negotiations. Then each of the four become prime Jordan.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I don’t agree with that

Two years ago he had 79 in 66, that’s a 97 point pace, that’s around what Marner puts up every year, he was then taken off pp1 for OReilly and even had games playing third line with kampf prior to the trade.

He was booking along at a 120 point pace right up until signing last year. So 97 isn’t what I’m talking about. Also if we’re going by pace then Marner is higher than 97 over a lonnng stretch AND doesn’t get caved in defensively.

Nylander is talented enough to be a ppg+ player while floating but It really shouldn’t be an argument for anyone with eyes that he’s a floater too.

Even on HNIC Bourne said he didn’t see Nylander reaching 50 because he has a regular nap time for 10-12 games in the back half of most years.

He is what he is - an inconsistent and mercurial defensively irresponsible game breaker.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

He was booking along at a 120 point pace right up until signing last year. So 97 isn’t what I’m talking about. Also if we’re going by pace then Marner is higher than 97 over a lonnng stretch AND doesn’t get caved in defensively.

Nylander is talented enough to be a ppg+ player while floating but It really shouldn’t be an argument for anyone with eyes that he’s a floater too.

Even on HNIC Bourne said he didn’t see Nylander reaching 50 because he has a regular nap time for 10-12 games in the back half of most years.

He is what he is - an inconsistent and mercurial defensively irresponsible game breaker.

I think we are agreeing at a general point, but are stuck in semantics

I also agree nylander is a floater, but it isn't something he does game in and game out, he has a month or so of pure floating and the rest is usually really solid play. He is still talented enough to pick up points during that stretch but the level of play is 2 notches below what he gives normally.

I agree on the defensive aspect and the pace argument was just what marner usually ends with at the season (97-99) with missed games.

 

[horner]

Willy needs to start scoring

 

[GoonieFace]

Willy needs to start scoring

He’s tied for 2nd in goals. What he needs to do better is get points while other players do all the heavy lifting.

 

[Menzinger]

Efficient and succinct.

While others are hurry - scurry accomplish nothing he throws in 3 goals to lead the team while smoking a cigar at center ice.

The point shot goal last playoffs is actually an interesting example of Willy understanding you just have to loose things up a a bit and toss things at the net and sometimes good things happen

Other guys stay bound too tight and do the same skate around with the puck looking for the perfect passing opportunity which comes so rarely in the playoffs with teams playing so much more tuned in defensively

 

[MK78]

Willy needs to start scoring

Maybe he needs a benching or something. That usually got him going under Keefe. Or earliier in the year when Berube was limiting his minutes and he was unhappy, and after that went on a tear.

Willy just needs some motivation once in a while. He's always been this way.

 

[Raging Bull]

Is he injured? Fly by after uninspired fly by.

 

[thewave]

Is he injured? Fly by after uninspired fly by.

Checked out for sure. It's weird. I wonder what happened. Locker politics?

 

[Aashir Mallik]

it's just sad how off he has been

 

[glue]

it's just sad how off he has been

He’ll get his mojo back soon enough, happens to the best

 

[thewave]

He was Willy Willy bad tonight.

 

[Leaffan1991]

Definitely not playing to his new contract... he's all offence and no defence so I expect him to hit 100 points at 11.5 if he's not going to do anything defensively.

 

[meefer]

He is what he is - an inconsistent and mercurial defensively irresponsible game breaker.

 

[DarkKnight]

He's had a fantastic year and the flow will return. The only but, when he's off, he's so disengaged and his body language is awful. Complete disinterest. It's a long year.