Maple Leafs may have reason to be concerned about William Nylander

At one point, Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander was a top-10 NHL winger. He’s a three-time 40-goal scorer and one of the most electrifying players in the league.

However, his recent ranking at #32 in NHL Network’s preseason Top 50 players is mildly concerning. Nylander dropped from #19 last season, potentially raising some questions about what to expect this season and beyond.

Yes, Nylander was ranked just below 50-goal scorer Cole Caufield and ahead of 100-point man Mark Scheifele and other stars like Artemi Panarin and Sebastian Aho.

But unless Nylander can return to his 40-goal, 80-plus-point form, more questions will emerge about his long-term outlook.

It’s worth noting that the former Maple Leafs first-round pick is 30 this season. It’s not like he’s old or anything, not by any means. Still, you have to wonder if there is a decline, as slight as it might be, starting to set in. And if it is, how sharp would that decline be? Could we see Nylander fall off a cliff? Or will it be gradual enough to where Nylander remains at least a 30-goal guy for a few more seasons?

The answer to those questions will come this season, with a new administration running the team.

Nylander should greatly benefit from Maple Leafs new coach

Nylander, like Auston Matthews, did not benefit from the Craig Berube regime. Berube’s defensive, hard-nosed style did not mesh well with the Leafs’ most talented offensive players.

Even mired in a system designed to win 2-1 games, Nylander scored 45 goals in 2024-25 and 30 in 65 games last season. Despite injury issues, Nylander led the team in scoring with 79 points and showed that he’s still very much the game-breaker we all know he can be.

That’s why there’s plenty of reason to believe that Nylander should greatly benefit from Jim Hiller. Hiller isn’t quite as laissez-faire as Sheldon Keefe once was. But Hiller should allow Nylander, and Matthews, for that matter, plenty of breathing room.

One Nylander is unleashed, so to speak, once again; could another 40-goal season be on the horizon? There’s no reason to think that wouldn’t be the case.

The only thing that could hold Nylander back at this point would be another injury-filled campaign. Nevertheless, you have to think that a full summer off, with time to recover from ailments, should bode well for Nylander.

Most importantly, he, like the rest of the team, has something to prove. That motivation may be enough to propel him to even a 100-point season. That may seem like an overly bullish call, but there’s plenty of evidence to suggest William Nylander might very well be able to pull off a feat like that.

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