For all the talk about Auston Matthews leaving this summer, the star on the way out the door might be someone else entirely.
The rhetoric behind Matthews’ exit from Toronto is his seeming displeasure with the direction the team is heading. And yes, we’ve talked about Matthews checking out this season.
But there was another player who apparently checked out long before. And that’s William Nylander.
His comments on Friday regarding the potential reasons for the Maple Leafs’ sour season were telling, not so much by what he said, but what he didn’t.
Nylander chose to keep his comments to himself instead of offering an explanation to fans and the media.
Nylander on where it has gone wrong for the #Leafs this season: "I have my thoughts about maybe some stuff, but that's something I'm going to keep to myself."
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) March 27, 2026
Now, this could just be a case of someone invoking the Fifth Amendment. Nylander wasn’t going to say anything to put himself on the spot. That’s why keeping quiet made sense. Nylander wasn’t willing to put his foot in his mouth. His antics have already gotten him in trouble once this season.
But then again, with his salary and his stature in Toronto, he owes the fans to be one of the most influential front-facing pieces of the franchise.
We’ll give Nylander a pass since he didn’t seem to want to throw anyone under the bus. But there’s a point where you have to grow up. Perhaps it’s just Nylander’s way of handling the pressure. He makes light of the situation in order to avoid overwhelming himself mentally.
We can all relate to that in one way or another.
But as grown-ups, when the stuff really hits the fan, you have to face reality. When you’re not stepping up at work, you either need to get with the program or find another job.
This summer, when the Maple Leafs are looking for a full and fresh reset, the place to look is not at Matthews. If anything, he’s a victim in all of this situation. The Leafs can find plenty of value in moving Nylander. Plenty of desperate clubs out there won’t mind overpaying for the Swedish forward.
Remaining silent is a right. But when the spotlight is on you, it’s not a good look. Even a canned response like “it’s on me,” or “we all share the blame is preferable to “keeping things to yourself.”