It's been a rocky start to the season for the Leafs. With 14 games played already, there have been some standout players to start the season. William Nylander being one player that has made his presence felt on the ice.
Nylander had his best season last year, recording 34 goals and 46 assists, for a total of 80 points in 81 games. This season so far, Nylander has tallied five goals, eight assists and 13 points in 14 games. He is currently one of the top three goal scorers on the team right now, with John Tavares and Auston Matthews above him in goals and points.
Nylander and Tavares have been on the same line for every game this season and it is seeming to work. The chemistry between them this season has been amazing, it’s no surprise that they are two of the team's lead goal scorers at the moment. Looking at their game against the Carolina Hurricanes last Sunday, the team was able to play a strong, defensive game. A notable moment came in the game was when Nylander got a breakaway and buried it to make it 3-1 for the Leafs.
The Leafs are tied for third place in the NHL Atlantic Division alongside the Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers. Who all have 17 points in the last 14 games. It truly has been a rocky season, with key losses happening during their California road trip just a couple weeks ago. Since then, the team has been able to turn their luck around by going on a three game winning streak. Unfortunately, it was short lived as with their overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights last Tuesday it ended the streak.
With a 7-4-3 record, most fans believe that the team is just repeating past mistakes from previous seasons. Having no real change has been made to improve the team. Despite this disappointing start, this has been one of Nylander’s best starts to the season in a while. Considering his remarkable season last year, it’ll be interesting to see if he can remain consistent with his progress this season.