In the Toronto Maple Leafs end of the year press conference, Coach Mike Babcock made clear that William Nylander will not be moving to the center position.
While many are still trying to digest the end of a remarkably exciting season for this Toronto Maple Leafs team, many are eagerly wanting to know what the makeup of this team will look like for the start of next season.
It was a year of tremendous growth with such a young squad. The Maple Leafs took a huge jump in the standings that many hadn’t expected for another couple years. The progression of Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner and many others was a sweet sight for all Maple Leaf fans. However, it could be argued that William Nylander experienced the most growth in development as a player throughout the 2016/17 season.
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Nylander had battled many questions about his game on the defensive end. There was no question that Nylander possessed an elite shot release, and some great vision in the offensive zone. Nylander most of the time appears to have the puck on a rope when he’s gaining zone entry. However, the question that many asked was if Nylander was capable of becoming a full-time centerman in the NHL. That was the plan for Leafs management at the beginning of the season… it appears that has changed.
Babcock says Nylander won't play centre next season.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) April 25, 2017
Nylander’s Growth
While some may find this news troubling or a knock on William Nylander and his development, I for one am happy to hear that he will remain on the wing with Matthews.
Nylander grew as a player and became more responsible and reliable in his own end, back-checking and winning more battles in the corners and along the boards. In the last couple months of the season, Nylander was arguably one of the most effective Leaf forwards in the lineup. That keen interest in taking care of his own defensive end eventually led to better opportunities in the offensive end and less defensive zone draws for his line. Nylander’s smart play continued into the playoffs and even earned him faceoff duty at times when Matthews would struggle.
Keeping William Nylander on the wing with Matthews is a great move especially with the growth that Nazem Kadri has experienced this year, becoming a more dependable second line center.
While there are many question marks heading into next season, the Matthews-Nylander future will not be one of them.