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Maple Leafs Analyst Thinks William Nylander Finally Crossed a Line
Leafs Nation is getting tired of William Nylander’s up-and-down effort, and one analyst feels there needs to be some consequences.
The heat has been turned up on William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs like never before during a regular season. Following an ugly game and a loss to the Washington Capitals, head coach Craig Berube told the media to ‘ask those guys’, meaning the players, when they wanted to know why the team showed little passion. Nylander is at the heart of it.
Toronto’s core is used to going through the motions, treating the 82-game schedule as a tune-up for the postseason, racking up numbers and making the playoffs with ease. They’ve done that for nine consecutive years, so even with the departure of Mitch Marner, the assumption was they’d be able to do it again in 2025-26. However, that’s been far from the case through 33 games.
They currently sit just one point clear of the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets for last place in the Eastern Conference, coming off what may have been their worst performance of the season—a lifeless 4–0 shutout loss to Washington on Thursday night.
As things have started to slip away, the spotlight has shifted squarely onto Nylander and Auston Matthews, both having drawn criticism for their lackluster play of late. They certainly didn’t help themselves with their performance against the Capitals on Thursday, and Steve “Dangle” Glynn believes it’s time for Nylander to face the consequences for it by watching from the press box for a game.
“Matthews is getting a lot of criticism, and it’s deserved because he’s a husk of his former self. And at the end of the day, he’s the captain. I would scratch William Nylander for the next game, I would. He hates the puck, I think he hates it. I don’t know if they got into an argument, he insulted his family, or what. He hates the hockey puck, he hates it, cannot stand it… I don’t know what he’s going through. I don’t know if he’s just very nakedly trying to get his coach fired, which is what I’m pretty sure it is. Or if he’s just not interested in the thing he’s paid $11.5 million to do right now. I would not put him in the lineup for my pro hockey teams next pro hockey game,”
The 29-year-old Nylander is still ticking at over a point per game this season with 36 points (11 goals, 25 assists) across 29 games, though the production has dried up of late, particularly the goal scoring, mired in a nine-game drought.
Has William Nylander Tuned Out Craig Berube?
After Berube’s “ask those guys, not me” comments postgame on Thursday, serious questions were raised about a potential disconnect between the coach and his players.
Nylander and Berube have, of course, had their share of run-ins on the bench this season, though it would often result in the superstar winger responding by scoring or setting up an important goal.
Whenever asked about their relationship, Nylander has spoken highly of his coach, but his effort of late speaks to something being off, because even for his laissez-faire style, the lack of engagement has been noticeable.
There may be some friction right now, but that’s not always a bad thing. Perhaps some December adversity will help Nylander and the Maple Leafs to better prepare for what awaits in April or May—that is, if they’re able to right the ship and secure a 10th straight playoff appearance.
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