"Our best player": Leafs teammates rave about Nylander's hot start
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander has a chance to make history on Tuesday night.
Nylander’s six goals and six assists sit him 10th in NHL scoring, but he’s also riding a joint-franchise record with points in each of his first eight games to begin the year.
Should Nylander find the scoresheet in Toronto’s contest today, he’ll be the sole franchise leader in consecutive games with a point to start a season, topping Frank Mahovlich (1961-62), Lanny McDonald (1976-77) and John Anderson (1982-83).
And his teammates have clearly taken notice of the 26-year-old’s hot start.
“He’s just clutch,” defenceman TJ Brodie told reporters on Tuesday.
“I think we’ve seen that from some of the goals that he’s scored this year, right?” John Tavares said on Monday. “Just pretty remarkable, remarkable plays, ability. And within those, you see the drive and determination. So, there’s no doubt he continues to push himself to wanting to be dominant, be one of the best players in the world, and make an impact on a nightly basis… I just think he’s had a lot of growth in a lot of areas. And I just think that’s the natural evolution of an elite player, a very driven player.”
Coming off a 40-goal, 87-point year in 2022-23, Nylander hesitated at the idea of himself hitting a “new level” when asked about it Monday.
“I’m just doing my thing that I have been doing for the last couple of years,” a smirking Nylander commented. “But it’s nice that you think I hit a new level.”
Media continues to undermine William Nylander’s skill and effort but he’s undeterred.
“I’m just doing my thing that I have for the past couple of years but it’s nice that you think I hit a new level.” pic.twitter.com/oWlpdqXypJ
— din (@klooowry) October 30, 2023
“He’s one of the top players in the league right now. I think he’s been a little underrated. Now you see what he’s capable of… he’s been our best player and he’s important for this team,” defenceman John Klingberg added.
Nylander and the Leafs take to the Scotiabank Arena ice for an 8 pm ET puck drop on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
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