Toronto Maple Leafs: Can William Nylander Win the Hart Trophy?

With the Toronto Maple Leafs season now well underway, it seems like a good time to take a look at how the season has been going.

With 17 games under their belt, the Toronto Maple Leafs boast an OK record of 10-5-2, sitting them 3rd place in the Atlantic Division.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are also on a 4-game heater, and have won five of six games, although they have done so in a completely unsustainable way.

But there is one person on the team who has not only been one of the best players on the Leafs, but one of the best in the entire league.

And that is William Nylander.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Can William Nylander Win the Hart Trophy?

William Nylander is off to the best start of his career, and is well on his way to a career-best season.

Currently at a 17-game point streak, Nylander sits near the top of NHL scoring, amassing 27 points in just 17 games to start the year. Nylander is tied right now for 4th in the NHL points race, and just 1 point away from the top 3.

As good as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and even Morgan Rielly have been, Nylander has probably been the Leafs best player.

As said before, Nylander is currently one point off leading the league in points, and is currently on pace for 130 points. (stats: eliteprospects)

Not only is he a potential threat to win the scoring title, but there is an argument for him to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP.

Auston Matthews did it a few years back, why not Nylander?

It may sound crazy to some, but this may be Nylander’s best chance to win a MVP.

Perennial contenders Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are having unforeseen down years, and a recent injury to up-and-comer Jack Hughes has opened the door for Nylander and others to contend.

Ironically, one of Nylander’s biggest competitors is his teammate, Auston Matthews, who has 14 goals in 17 games and better 5v5 stats overall.

Now of course, Nylander’s production is very hard to sustain, and his 17-game point streak will likely end at some point, but I could definitely see a run at an MVP from ‘Willy Styles” this year.

His start to the season has been a beautiful thing to watch, let’s see if he can keep it up the rest of the season.