It is William Nylander's world: we're all just living in it.
Hockey's most casual superstar (yes, superstar) continues to reach new heights.
You’ll no doubt recall, if you’re a particularly tuned-in Leafs fan, that William Nylander only played 54 games during the 2018/2019 season.
He sat out most of the year’s early going, away from the team, training privately in Europe and mired in contract negotiations.
And when he did eventually sign, at the final hour, for a deal many considered well above his market value (six years, $45 million), the resulting outcry, from “fans” and flame-stoking members of the media both? Well, it wasn’t quiet, especially once he struggled (scoring just seven goals) and his season was written-off.
Who exactly did this dude think he was, you know? Just two full seasons to his name, a 60-point player sure but not a superstar-to-be the same way Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner were.
His defense was subpar, his engagement could be inconsistent and his laid-back attitude, a complete disregard for the Toronto pressure-cooker, could come across, for some, as a player who simply wouldn’t fit in a room that spoke openly of their championship aspirations.
And as the Leafs continually flamed out in the playoffs, he was the easy target, wasn’t he? Always the first brought up in trade rumours. Replaceable talent, one dimensional, lacking drive.
But with a little bit of hindsight? All you can do is laugh.
He had three points on Saturday against San Jose, as the Leafs swept their California road trip. He has a point in all but four games this season
And as of Sunday, January 7th, Nylander is fifth in the NHL scoring race, tied with Connor McDavid, at 54 points.
Additionally, he seems on a verge of signing a new contract, expect this time, you’ll be hard-pressed to find too many opposed.
Surprising? Maybe. Only if you haven’t been paying attention (the NHL at large hasn’t been, considering he was left off the initial All-Star game roster but what are you gonna do?).
Spend too much time concerned with “what isn’t” and chances are? You’ll miss out on “what is”. And with Nylander? That has meant continued evolution, year-after-year.
Sure, at this point in his career (he’ll turn 28 in the spring) he will probably never be a plus-positive defensive player. And while he has spent time on the penalty kill this season, it is his offensive growth that has been truly invaluable.
Much of that comes down to his natural and finely-developed abilities (a brilliant skater with terrific vision) working alongside an increased profile.
Nylander has always been a strong playmaker, something that was apparent last season, with his 47 assists, a career-high. But that success, often missed in simply counting the raw numbers alone, comes in the way he drives play: utilizing his speed and agility to not just arrive at open ice but create it, for teammates and himself both.
Continually developing his goalscoring touch, he scored 40 last year and now, with 21 in 37 games so far in 2023/2024, is on track to flirt with 50 and surpass 100 points for the first time.
He opened the season on an 18-game point streak and while it is easy to look to his contract-year status as the driving factor, that seems too easy, too familiar, a return to the downplaying and disrespect that marred much of his post-holdout narrative.
Instead, where Nylander is now, is at the peak of his powers, a gifted, dynamic offensive player that may occasionally lack 200-foot focus but never consistent purpose.
Worth the rumoured eight years and nearly eleven-something million average supposedly in store for his next contract? No, probably not and as history shows (including the Leafs signing of John Tavares at the same age) even consistent production can’t entirely cover the realities of the aging curve - nor the inherent complexities brought forth by Toronto’s cap situation.
Nylander was the only one of the team’s “Core Four” of forwards making less than $10 million. A deserved raise? Absolutely. But it does mean, if such an extension comes to pass, that things have gotten more complicated on that front for the Maple Leafs (if that was even possible).
If he can maintain his play though, his playoff production most importantly, it’ll be worthwhile - especially if it leads to something greater.
Until then? We might as well just enjoy the ride.