News Article: Nylander voted Comeback Player of the Year in the PHWA's Midseason Awards

ShaneFalco

Registered User
Jul 15, 2012
21,414
15,770
London, On
He changed his jersey number. He changed the way he prepared. He’s now changed his perception around the NHL - as one of Sheldon Keefe’s most reliable forwards in a season riddled with injuries.
Nylander, 23, has 16 more points and 15 more goals in 49 games at the All-Star break than he had in 54 total games last season for the Leafs.
For all of that, Nylander was voted the Comeback Player of the Year in the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s Midseason Awards, which were released on Thursday.
To do it in such a high-profile setting in Toronto is what helped Nylander edge out other Comeback candidates in a season full of them, including Connor McDavid overcoming a serious knee injury, James Neal’s renaissance in Edmonton and Anthony Duclair finding a home in Ottawa.

William Nylander voted PHWA’s best Comeback Player at Midseason - TSN.ca

This will make a few Leaf fans unhappy
 

TheTotalPackage

Registered User
Sep 14, 2006
7,299
5,448
I would consider his season to be a bounceback as opposed to a comeback.

He was embattled in a contract dispute. He didn't come back from a major injury or another type of hardship. There are better options than Nylander for this award.
 

18leafsfan18

Registered User
Jul 28, 2012
3,056
1,831
Ontario
I would consider his season to be a bounceback as opposed to a comeback.

He was embattled in a contract dispute. He didn't come back from a major injury or another type of hardship. There are better options than Nylander for this award.

The other 2 in the top 3 were coming back from down seasons, just like Nylander.

Obviously the voters for this award to not vote based on what you think the criteria should be.
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
73,070
38,119
Good for Nylander.

I was pretty confident he would come back this year and be the player some on here knew he could be.

As OP said, there should be plenty of posters eating crow on this one, but I'm sure they won't be anywhere near this topic or come up with some reason why he doesn't deserve it.
No kidding.
Hard to imagine there were some who said he was great last year.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
23,333
21,350
Richmond Hill, ON
Willie has changed his game (the WNFC can deny it all they want) and the results are in the pudding. He is now a legitimate threat that opponents cannot take lightly. Excellent for Willie, the Leafs and Leaf fans. We need all the weapons we can get firing at the same time.
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
73,070
38,119
Anyone know what his numbers were this year with Babcock vs Keefe?
Curious how much of an affect the coaching change had on his production.
 

67Leafs67

Registered User
Nov 8, 2014
773
630
I think his 'comeback' is a little overstated.

He had about 19 games last year that were bad, where he had 3 points, and then after that was back to playing at a 56 point pace, and was one of our better players in the playoffs. His on-ice Sh% was incredibly low, he was generating chances for himself & teammates at similar rates to the rest of his career, it was more or less poor luck in a smaller than normal sample.

I do agree that his play in 19/20 is improved over what we saw in 16-19...but the notion that he was utter shit last year is, well, utter shit. As a goal scorer he has definitely improved, but overall, what we've essentially seen is a) he's playing with Matthews or Tavares, not Marleau & Brown, b) his shooting % and teammates shooting % is regressing back to normal values.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Willchel Marlynder

kevy999

Registered User
Sep 12, 2016
1,383
446
The other 2 in the top 3 were coming back from down seasons, just like Nylander.

Obviously the voters for this award to not vote based on what you think the criteria should be.
How was Connor Mcdavid's plus 100 point season a down year? lol I think Mcdavid coming back from a serious knee injury and leading the league in points and on pace for over 120 points is easily the comeback player of the year but i don't take these awards seriously anyway . But good for William that he is having a bounce back year
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->