Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander put a hypothetical cherry on top of his rapid start to the season on Tuesday night.
Despite an ugly 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings with not too many positives to take away from the game, Nylander became the first player in franchise history to record at least one point in nine straight games to start the season, marking the longest season-opening point streak by anyone to ever wear the Maple Leaf. The point came in the form of a secondary assist on the Leafs’ lone goal of the game, courtesy of John Tavares. Not exactly the sexiest way to get it done, but when your name is in the record books for one of the oldest sports franchises in the world, nobody asks how you got it done.
William Nylander is the first player in Leafs franchise history to begin a season with 9-game point streak 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QdH80eBAuS
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 1, 2023
I know that there’s not gonna be too many people with an appetite for this news right now, considering the poor team effort from the Leafs in the loss, but whenever a player sets a record for a 106-year-old franchise, it’s worth some recognition. Nylander has taken yet another step forward this season after setting career highs in all three of goals (40), assists (47), and points (87). In nine games so far, he has six goals and 13 points to lead the Maple Leafs in scoring.
Everybody knows that new general manager Brad Treliving’s top priority is re-upping Nylander’s deal, and although the process is far more complicated than “just get it done”, his hot start to the season is no doubt eating away at the back of the GM’s mind. The more he produces early on, and the more he looks like he’s taken another step forward, the more he’s gonna cost. Factor in that he’s been taking some penalty kill reps as well, and the thought of what he’d ask for if he added defence to his game is a little too scary. Well, considering yesterday was Halloween anyways.
Either way, dwelling on his contract won’t get anybody anywhere, and while the vibes won’t be great after Tuesday’s game, Leafs fans should appreciate what they have in Nylander. He’s been the only player to show up in more-or-less every game this season, and he’s a big part of the reason they had a better October than they usually do. Remember when everybody wanted him traded?
