It was not a good Thanksgiving for Toronto sports teams and their fans. Notably, the Blue Jays are down 0-2 in the American League Championship Series to the Seattle Mariners after a 10-3 loss. Earlier in the day, the Maple Leafs hosted the Detroit Red Wings to accommodate the playoff baseball game. Despite outshooting Detroit 40-15, Toronto lost 3-2 on a goal from Mason Appleton with just 45 seconds left in regulation.
There is really no reason for Leafs fans to panic, as it's only the third game of the season. Head coach Craig Berube, however, took time during his post-game press conference to send a message to star William Nylander. Berube said that Nylander needs to be more aggressive and shoot the puck more.
“Willy needs more shots,” Berube said, h/t Sportsnet. “He needs to attack more, needs to shoot more. He’s got to get on the inside more. There’s shifts and times where he is skating. But I just feel like it’s not enough. We need more out of him.”
Craig Berube calls out William Nylander for lack of aggressiveness early this season
Berube is correct in his assessment, as Nylander has a low shots total through three games this season. On Monday afternoon against Detroit, Nylander had two shots in 19:42 of ice-time. In Toronto's season-opener against the Montreal Canadiens, Nylander had just one shot attempt in 18:40 of playing time. In the Maple Leafs' first meeting against the Red Wings last Saturday, Nylander didn't record a shot in 21:13 of ice-time.
Nylander having just three shots on goal through the first three games is concerning, especially considering he is one of the team's highest-paid players on the roster. Compare his numbers to superstar Auston Matthews, who has 15 shots through the first three games.
Nylander has been one of the core pieces of the Maple Leafs, alongside Matthews and formerly Mitch Marner. Due for a contract, the Leafs signed Nylander to an eight-year, $92 million extension, and he's currently just in the second year of it. This season, Nylander counts for $11.5 million against Toronto's salary cap.
In the first year of Nylander's new deal, he led the team with 45 goals, while having the second-most shot attempts with 253. Hence why Berube is so stunned by the lack of shot attempts and aggressiveness by Nylander this early into the season.
There is still a lot of season left, and maybe Berube's message will serve as Nylander's wake-up call.