Nylander Discussion

[DarkKnight]

Why does it never go the other way? Where is the 5-6 game small sample size of Nylander being productive and an offensive force over the last 2 years?

Over the last 80 games of his NHL career he has how many points? Playing shotgun to Matthews? That's a very large sample size. How much more sample size than the last couple of years do we need before we assume the underlying analytics are an outlier? How much more evidence do we need that he can't snipe as his shooting metrics indicate over a number of years now?

He’s a career below average shooter and the sample size is 254 games. Is that big enough to extrapolate?

 

[EXTRAS]

Guys on here are so hot and cold on Nylander. Half the time people on here says he's been the leafs best player the past while (at any given time) and half the time people say he's a 40 point p.o.s.

 

[rumman]

Again False, come on man. This year yes, what about last year oh and the year before that? No they do not ALWAYS play together

well, Nylander decided he wasn't going to play hockey in October and November so how could he possibly play the enitre season with 34?

 

[slimbob8]

I honestly believe that Willy’s game is suited for the big ice and that is where he will shine. Smaller ice surface and big dman cut back on his game

I don't disagree. But the league is full of fast skilled players where that same statement would apply to them. A lot of them still manage to produce at a high level on the small ice though which Nylander can't seem to do.

 

[DarkKnight]

Watch him light it up tonight.

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

Consistency is the key for Nylander. Some games he looks like one of the best guys on the ice. Some games he doesn't. To be honest, him, Matthews and Marner are very similar in that regard this season. The difference is Marner and Matthews are point magnets and just racks up the points. If Nylander wants to rack up the points as well he's going to have to be a consistent player, Matthews and Marner will get the points regardless.

 

[Beyonder91]

Any broad statistical analysis of less than 20GP is pretty meaningless in terms of quality of a sample size.

So if he played 20-30 games.on PP unit 1 it'd be more telling vs say 5-6 games played. Its similar to getting mad at player for not putting up points of their first game of a callup - need more time to evaluate

Honestly Nylander has been fine on PP#1. The biggest problem IMO has been Rielly and his terrible decision making... usually with his point shots. Marner has had a few rough games with turnovers as well too.

 

[DarkKnight]

Consistency is the key for Nylander. Some games he looks like one of the best guys on the ice. Some games he doesn't. To be honest, him, Matthews and Marner are very similar in that regard this season. The difference is Marner and Matthews are point magnets and just racks up the points. If Nylander wants to rack up the points as well he's going to have to be a consistent player, Matthews and Marner will get the points regardless.

Bingo, when you boil down all this back and forth, the crux of the matter is consistency. Willie can and does look all world, he’s got the strength to win battles and drive. Then it wanes, too often to be considered a great player, hence the root of some frustration. It’s all about consistency with Willie, that the missing piece and the reason he’s still a lightning rod. Those lapses kill him.

 

[Anthrax442]

Consistency is the key for Nylander. Some games he looks like one of the best guys on the ice. Some games he doesn't. To be honest, him, Matthews and Marner are very similar in that regard this season. The difference is Marner and Matthews are point magnets and just racks up the points. If Nylander wants to rack up the points as well he's going to have to be a consistent player, Matthews and Marner will get the points regardless.

I personally think he is better when he plays C. He carries the puck, he sees the ice, he makes things happen. I don't get it why he was fine to replace Kadri last year in the playoffs, but god forbid our genius coach would try him at 2C in October.

 

[Walshy7]

Honestly Nylander has been fine on PP#1. The biggest problem IMO has been Rielly and his terrible decision making... usually with his point shots. Marner has had a few rough games with turnovers as well too.

Gotta put Barrie there imo. Reilly is struggling a little at the moment, and PP QB is Barrie's bread and butter you want a better dman EV strength? let him get some confidence on the pp. Will also allow Rielly some respite to get back to his 5 on 5 best. Barries shot is so much better than Rielly's on top of Rielly having a pretty low shooting IQ (at least at the moment)

 

[Babcocks Marner]

Watch him light it up tonight.

I've got one of those feelings.

They are going to chew that second line.

 

[Sweet Leaf]

well, Nylander decided he wasn't going to play hockey in October and November so how could he possibly play the enitre season with 34?

Auston Matthews got off to the fastest start in the league last year. He was an unstoppable monster until he got hurt. That was with Kappy as his RW. Then he came back, cooled off, and everyone said well he needs Nylander. And Nylander needs him. However, since then, at no point ever has Auston Matthews looked like the guy who started last year.

This year we have had Nylander stapled to Matthews since the start. Matthews is not having a good year. Nylander is not having a good year. So, where are all the posters now saying we need to shake things up and separate them? That's what they said when Kappy was on RW and production stalled?

Nylander is doing jack for Matthews right now and vice versa. Let's put Nylander with our best center IE Tavares. Tavares is a better playmaker than Matthews is and Willie needs that given his atrocious shooting. Willie likes tt carry the puck a lot on the outside and feed guys and Tavares is better suited for that than Matty who also wants to carry it.

 

[IPS]

Gotta put Barrie there imo. Reilly is struggling a little at the moment, and PP QB is Barrie's bread and butter you want a better dman EV strength? let him get some confidence on the pp. Will also allow Rielly some respite to get back to his 5 on 5 best. Barries shot is so much better than Rielly's on top of Rielly having a pretty low shooting IQ (at least at the moment)

Eh, it's all good.

Just wait for about 60 more games of a struggling PP and Babcock might consider the change. Might.

 

[rumman]

Auston Matthews got off to the fastest start in the league last year. He was an unstoppable monster until he got hurt. That was with Kappy as his RW. Then he came back, cooled off, and everyone said well he needs Nylander. And Nylander needs him. However, since then, at no point ever has Auston Matthews looked like the guy who started last year.

This year we have had Nylander stapled to Matthews since the start. Matthews is not having a good year. Nylander is not having a good year. So, where are all the posters now saying we need to shake things up and separate them? That's what they said when Kappy was on RW and production stalled?

Nylander is doing jack for Matthews right now and vice versa. Let's put Nylander with our best center IE Tavares. Tavares is a better playmaker than Matthews is and Willie needs that given his atrocious shooting. Willie likes tt carry the puck a lot on the outside and feed guys and Tavares is better suited for that than Matty who also wants to carry it.

 

[DarkKnight]

I've got one of those feelings.

They are going to chew that second line.

Kings have the worst goals against in the league, should be wide open and speed through the neutral zone.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Kings have the worst goals against in the league, should be wide open and speed through the neutral zone.

Which is our wheelhouse

 

[DarkKnight]

Which is our wheelhouse

On paper, looks a stats padder.

 

[rumman]

On paper, looks a stats padder.

"on paper" allot of things look better than they are.

 

[The Kessel Run]

Honestly Nylander has been fine on PP#1. The biggest problem IMO has been Rielly and his terrible decision making... usually with his point shots. Marner has had a few rough games with turnovers as well too.

Rielly is butchering that PP1. I'd say put Barrie on it, but he can barely stickhandle right now.

 

[HellasLEAF]

Auston Matthews got off to the fastest start in the league last year. He was an unstoppable monster until he got hurt. That was with Kappy as his RW. Then he came back, cooled off, and everyone said well he needs Nylander. And Nylander needs him. However, since then, at no point ever has Auston Matthews looked like the guy who started last year.

This year we have had Nylander stapled to Matthews since the start. Matthews is not having a good year. Nylander is not having a good year. So, where are all the posters now saying we need to shake things up and separate them? That's what they said when Kappy was on RW and production stalled?

Nylander is doing jack for Matthews right now and vice versa. Let's put Nylander with our best center IE Tavares. Tavares is a better playmaker than Matthews is and Willie needs that given his atrocious shooting. Willie likes tt carry the puck a lot on the outside and feed guys and Tavares is better suited for that than Matty who also wants to carry it.

I like this idea.

And Kappy looks like a force on the right wing at the moment. He has really elevated his game.

Matthews - Willie pairing has been up and down.

 

[Menzinger]

Auston Matthews got off to the fastest start in the league last year. He was an unstoppable monster until he got hurt. That was with Kappy as his RW. Then he came back, cooled off, and everyone said well he needs Nylander. And Nylander needs him. However, since then, at no point ever has Auston Matthews looked like the guy who started last year.

This year we have had Nylander stapled to Matthews since the start. Matthews is not having a good year. Nylander is not having a good year. So, where are all the posters now saying we need to shake things up and separate them? That's what they said when Kappy was on RW and production stalled?

Nylander is doing jack for Matthews right now and vice versa. Let's put Nylander with our best center IE Tavares. Tavares is a better playmaker than Matthews is and Willie needs that given his atrocious shooting. Willie likes tt carry the puck a lot on the outside and feed guys and Tavares is better suited for that than Matty who also wants to carry it.

I think its a bit odd we havent seen Nylander and Jt as an experiment togther at this point. Had hoped it was going to be tried out last season when the team was in a funk there.

Thst said - Matthews and Nylander have looked good most games at 5v5 this season. Its really only been a couple games of the last few where things havent looked great.

Kappy and Matthews dont work together - neither wants to be the playmaker and imo Kappy has trouble reading the ice as quickly as Matthews.

If anything id try the Marner with Matthews experiment again (though havent been impressed with the results so far)

 

[Menzinger]

Why does it never go the other way? Where is the 5-6 game small sample size of Nylander being productive and an offensive force over the last 2 years?

Over the last 80 games of his NHL career he has how many points? Playing shotgun to Matthews? That's a very large sample size. How much more sample size than the last couple of years do we need before we assume the underlying analytics are an outlier? How much more evidence do we need that he can't snipe as his shooting metrics indicate over a number of years now?

Beacuse we have two full 82 game seasons where hes looked great vs 1 half season where he had a subpar year and 15 games where hes looked great some nights and lousy the others.

The bigger sample size is clearly pointing in one direction here..

 

[sxvnert]

Trade Nylander for a D:

Mikheyev Matthews Kapanen
Johnsson Tavares Marner
Moore Kerfoot Hyman
Timashov Gauthier Shore/Petan/Engvall

 

[DavePoulin4PM]

Watch him light it up tonight.

He probably will. No one can pad their stars against bottom feeders like Nylander can.

 

[PromisedLand]

Nylander is a good player but he hasn't shown anything that would put him in elite category. Hell even Connor Brown has 11 pts in 12 games this season.

If Nylander wants to be in the "elite" category he has a long way to go