If you thought William Nylander was too streaky of a scorer to deserve an eight-year contract extension worth $92 million back in January, your mind isn’t about to change now.
Not with Nylander not playing at the most important part of the season.
Ever since they selected him with the eighth overall pick in 2014, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward has long been a polarizing figure. Everyone agrees Nylander has all-world talent, but his playful nature and finesse-based game has drawn its share of critics, who are always wanting more out of him.
And now, when everyone was expecting Nylander to justify his lucrative contract extension in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a high-impact showing against the Boston Bruins, the 27-year-old isn’t even healthy enough to participate in the games.
Nylander missed Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. Heading into Game 2, he looks like he might be unavailable once again.
Related: Nylander Needs to Play and Reaves Needs to Sit: 5 Ways the Maple Leafs Can Win Game 2
While you can’t fault a player for getting hurt, you can understand the fan frustration. After all, Nylander can be a difference-maker and needle-mover. He makes the Leafs better. Much, much better.
We saw it this season when Nylander scored 40 goals for the second straight year and finished second in team scoring with 98 points. Of course, 40 of those points came before he signed his contract extension, which has only reinforced the narrative against him.
Then again, for all his warts, Nylander is a proven playoff performer who has scored 40 points in 50 games. While Auston Matthews went without a goal against the Florida Panthers in last year’s playoffs, Nylander scored twice.
In other words, the Leafs were relying on Nylander to be a dominant force offensively against the Bruins. They needed him to be. But here we are, with no Nylander and no highlight-reel performances. And with rampant speculation as to what his injury could be.
Either way, he’ll hopefully get into the lineup and step up soon, even if he’s not 100 percent.
The Leafs have tried their best to surround their ‘Core Four’ with secondary pieces, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Matthew Knies. But at some point in the post-season, Nylander is one of four key people that Leafs fans expect to carry the team on offensively.
Again, blaming Nylander for being hurt is inherently unfair. But try explaining that to the blue-collar fans who grew up watching Doug Gilmour and Wendel Clark literally give blood, sweat and tears for their teammates. Nylander contributes in different ways.
But right now, he’s not contributing at all. And the longer he remains out of the lineup, the more frustrated fans are going to be. It might not be fair. But with the Leafs needing to advance past the first round, it might not matter.
"We've got to do what we can without him and hopefully get a win tonight". Sheldon Keefe left the door open to Nylander possibly returning tonight. But why did he comment on it after previously saying he wouldn't? ⤵️https://t.co/FsjzgbUMW2https://t.co/FsjzgbUMW2
— David Alter (@dalter) April 22, 2024
If he doesn’t return, and Toronto is eliminated by the Bruins, you’d better believe Nylander is going to hear it all summer long and throughout the next regular season. Playoff success is a zero-sum game, and Nylander either has to recover in short order or suffer the slings and arrows of his mix of good and bad fortune.
He’s making a lot of money, and fans and media are no longer prepared to keep giving excuses to him and the rest of Toronto’s top players.
It’s put-up or shut-up time for the Leafs. That definitely includes the player who is making $11.5 million.
Related: Bruins vs. Maple Leafs Again? Yes, and Isn’t It Wonderful?
News Summary:
- Opinion: Nylander Must Step Up for the Maple Leafs, Even If He's Not 100-Percent Healthy
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