News Article: The Nylander Saga.

[Gabriel426]

The craziest thing is the perception around Nylander is that he's lazy.....by all accounts from those around the team, he's one of the hardest working guys on the team.

The lazy part is weird. He is probably the most jacked Leafs, which means he is a gym rat. He avoids contact but I think that might have to do with the concussion he had at WJC. Not 100% sure, as I didn’t watch him on a regular basis back then. Last season, he started driving to the net more. You can see he is improving his game and by working on his weaknesses.

 

[HellasLEAF]

See with Nylander, what we seen this year was real improvement. He was flat out a better player and when you see that in the big picture of his development it is easier to excuse some of his playoff performance to a degree. I think that's why I am so tough on Marner right now. I don't think he has improved a single part of his game. Maybe regress is the better word.

 

[Superstar]

See with Nylander, what we seen this year was real improvement. He was flat out a better player and when you see that in the big picture of his development it is easier to excuse some of his playoff performance to a degree. I think that's why I am so tough on Marner right now. I don't think he has improved a single part of his game. Maybe regress is the better word.

When players are improving around him and he hasn't improved, then he is regressing. The thing is, I'm not sure if he's got the right people around him to push him to improve in hockey...and he already has all the money...he sure has folks around him who babies him...Dubas loves his community work. Seriously? He overpays a guy that much money and uses community work as a defense for his under performance in the "post-season" this year?

 

[93LEAFS]

See with Nylander, what we seen this year was real improvement. He was flat out a better player and when you see that in the big picture of his development it is easier to excuse some of his playoff performance to a degree. I think that's why I am so tough on Marner right now. I don't think he has improved a single part of his game. Maybe regress is the better word.

Nylander has better raw tools than Marner, and always has. If Nylander thought and saw the game at Marner's level, he'd be in the Hart discussion. I get the frustration with this team, and Marner. But, I'd trade Nylander over Marner, because at the end of the day, it boils down to this for me. How many guys in the NHL see and process the game at the speed Marner does? He is in the discussion for the smartest player in the league. You just don't give up on guys like that. While his contract is far from ideal, I feel moving Marner is likely to end up in the long-list of big roster blunders by the Leafs such trading the Big M, trading a first rounder Tom Kuvers (not only a pick that became Niedermayer, but also could have been used as ammunition to get Lindros), trading Rask for Raycroft, waiving Steve Sullivan, etc.

Do I like Willy as a player? Absolutely. But, I don't feel moving him could burn us the same way. It's fine for the fanbase to disagree, but I'm always going to gamble on the guy who can think the game like Marner unless you are talking about guys with truly freakish tools while also having high-iq's (Matthews's shot, McDavid and MacKinnon's skating, etc).

A lot of the smaller guys with insanely high-iq didn't really explode until they were older than Mitch is currently, and a bit more physically developed. Kane had his career year at 27, St. Louis at 29, Marc Savard at 28 (although rule changes contributed). The exception is Giroux at 23.

I'll always be a Leaf fan, but I would find it devastating to move on from Marner. It's just impossible to find players who think the game at the level he does. What he's accomplished without one other skill you can point to, and say he's clearly top 20 in the league at (unless you point to vision/passing as different than IQ) is astonishing. Even with the cap-hit disparity, I just don't see Nylander's top-end being comparable to the peak years out of Marner.

 

[93LEAFS]

The lazy part is weird. He is probably the most jacked Leafs, which means he is a gym rat. He avoids contact but I think that might have to do with the concussion he had at WJC. Not 100% sure, as I didn’t watch him on a regular basis back then. Last season, he started driving to the net more. You can see he is improving his game and by working on his weaknesses.

Nylander can drift in and out of games, which is where the laziness knock comes from. When players are labelled lazy, it can be due to a variety of factors. There is the Dustin Bufyglien level where off-ice habits lead to players being out of shape, and there is guys who float waiting for the game or goal scoring opportunity to come to them, instead of putting in the defensive work. It is why if you read "lazy" in a scouting report, it doesn't tell you much, because it can have multiple meanings with different solutions or workarounds.

I don't think its concussion related. Biggest issues with Nylander is that he can often times get into "one-man show" territory. He'll hold on to the puck too long not realizing open passing lanes and have it turned over as a result.

 

[Notsince67]

The lazy part is weird. He is probably the most jacked Leafs, which means he is a gym rat. He avoids contact but I think that might have to do with the concussion he had at WJC. Not 100% sure, as I didn’t watch him on a regular basis back then. Last season, he started driving to the net more. You can see he is improving his game and by working on his weaknesses.

Not Weird at all
Interview with Keefe:

Keefe: The big thing that stands out for William is just his consistency — the consistency he brings in his effort and competitiveness. When he does that, he is the player that he is capable of being. I showed him a number of different clips where he was all over the puck and winning pucks back.

Do you have a theory as to why the consistency isn’t always there?
Keefe: I think it is part of Will’s nature at times to not be as engaged as you’d like him to be. He needs a push. Sometimes it comes from me, but a lot of the time it comes from himself as well because he is a guy that is hard on himself. He recognizes it when you show him the clips. A lot of the times, he doesn’t even need to see the clips. He knows the situations you’re talking about.

 

[34]

Nylander is one of my favorite players on the team. I think his upside could be a PPG, 35g, center.

His elegant style makes people think he's lazy, but he's working out there.

One of the best in the league at controlled zone entries. Gets many of his goals in front of the net.

I think he could work on his shot. It's lethal but he takes a while to get it off. He could be a sniper if he works on it. Also should add some physicality to his game like Matthews did this season (and Matthews should take that to another level, as well).

Comeback player of the year. Best value deal of the 3 big RFAs.

It didn't work out in game 5, but I'd like to see Nylander center the second line next year.

Tavares - Matthews - Marner
Robertson - Nylander - Hyman
AJ - Kerfoot - Mikheyev

He is also strong as a horse. He has lots of muscle on him, jacked.

On a great contract, it would be a big mistake to trade him.

I honestly move Tavares out and clear $11M of Cap, and spend that to bolster our D.

 

[moon111]

Isn't Nylander just a slightly cheaper version of Ryan O'Reilly?

 

[TheScandal89]

Isn't Nylander just a slightly cheaper version of Ryan O'Reilly?

Uhhhh no, Nylander is no where close to him defensively. At least not in my eyes.

 

[ACC1224]

The lazy part is weird. He is probably the most jacked Leafs, which means he is a gym rat. He avoids contact but I think that might have to do with the concussion he had at WJC. Not 100% sure, as I didn’t watch him on a regular basis back then. Last season, he started driving to the net more. You can see he is improving his game and by working on his weaknesses.

I don’t think anyone thinks he’s lazy.

 

[ACC1224]

Isn't Nylander just a slightly cheaper version of Ryan O'Reilly?

Closer to Radar O’Rielly than Ryan.

 

[A1LeafNation]

What saga ...he a good player and one of the few who that have a good contract on the team.

Lol what is this thread...

 

[Notsince67]

Isn't Nylander just a slightly cheaper version of Ryan O'Reilly?

If version means bearded hockey players, then maybe.

 

[saffronleaf]

I don’t think anyone thinks he’s lazy.

Scroll up like 5 posts

 

[realgoodleafs]

See with Nylander, what we seen this year was real improvement. He was flat out a better player and when you see that in the big picture of his development it is easier to excuse some of his playoff performance to a degree. I think that's why I am so tough on Marner right now. I don't think he has improved a single part of his game. Maybe regress is the better word.

Pretty easy to progress from Nylander's 0.5 PPG season.

 

[Menzinger]

The funny thing with some of these critiques is that Nylander is one of the few Leafs to clearly put effort into elevateting/adapting part of his game.

He got knocked for missing the net a lot and spent a whole offseason working on shot accuracy (with clear results). Others knocked him for staying away from the front fo the net and he just had a season where he was one of the league leaders in goals scored from that area.

He's still a work in progress but I'm surprised that some don't even acknowledge these improvements. Seems like he has the exact attitude you'd want in a young player

 

[Stamkos4life]

Nylander has better raw tools than Marner, and always has. If Nylander thought and saw the game at Marner's level, he'd be in the Hart discussion. I get the frustration with this team, and Marner. But, I'd trade Nylander over Marner, because at the end of the day, it boils down to this for me. How many guys in the NHL see and process the game at the speed Marner does? He is in the discussion for the smartest player in the league. You just don't give up on guys like that. While his contract is far from ideal, I feel moving Marner is likely to end up in the long-list of big roster blunders by the Leafs such trading the Big M, trading a first rounder Tom Kuvers (not only a pick that became Niedermayer, but also could have been used as ammunition to get Lindros), trading Rask for Raycroft, waiving Steve Sullivan, etc.

Do I like Willy as a player? Absolutely. But, I don't feel moving him could burn us the same way. It's fine for the fanbase to disagree, but I'm always going to gamble on the guy who can think the game like Marner unless you are talking about guys with truly freakish tools while also having high-iq's (Matthews's shot, McDavid and MacKinnon's skating, etc).

A lot of the smaller guys with insanely high-iq didn't really explode until they were older than Mitch is currently, and a bit more physically developed. Kane had his career year at 27, St. Louis at 29, Marc Savard at 28 (although rule changes contributed). The exception is Giroux at 23.

I'll always be a Leaf fan, but I would find it devastating to move on from Marner. It's just impossible to find players who think the game at the level he does. What he's accomplished without one other skill you can point to, and say he's clearly top 20 in the league at (unless you point to vision/passing as different than IQ) is astonishing. Even with the cap-hit disparity, I just don't see Nylander's top-end being comparable to the peak years out of Marner.

Well said.

 

[mapleleaf979]

The lazy part is weird. He is probably the most jacked Leafs, which means he is a gym rat. He avoids contact but I think that might have to do with the concussion he had at WJC. Not 100% sure, as I didn’t watch him on a regular basis back then. Last season, he started driving to the net more. You can see he is improving his game and by working on his weaknesses.

LMAO.

Also Nylander isnt lazy cuz he works out at the gym??

Nylander is soft, doesnt compete @ 100% most of the time. When he does he is a 80-100 point man. The tools Nylander has are similar to Matt Barzal. One has passion, one doesnt give a damn. If KAdri is traded because u cant trust him @ playoff suspensions.....then trade Nylander by being unreliable and having no IDEA when Willy will show up.

 

[Faltorvo]

Nylander has better raw tools than Marner, and always has. If Nylander thought and saw the game at Marner's level, he'd be in the Hart discussion. I get the frustration with this team, and Marner. But, I'd trade Nylander over Marner, because at the end of the day, it boils down to this for me. How many guys in the NHL see and process the game at the speed Marner does? He is in the discussion for the smartest player in the league. You just don't give up on guys like that. While his contract is far from ideal, I feel moving Marner is likely to end up in the long-list of big roster blunders by the Leafs such trading the Big M, trading a first rounder Tom Kuvers (not only a pick that became Niedermayer, but also could have been used as ammunition to get Lindros), trading Rask for Raycroft, waiving Steve Sullivan, etc.

Do I like Willy as a player? Absolutely. But, I don't feel moving him could burn us the same way. It's fine for the fanbase to disagree, but I'm always going to gamble on the guy who can think the game like Marner unless you are talking about guys with truly freakish tools while also having high-iq's (Matthews's shot, McDavid and MacKinnon's skating, etc).

A lot of the smaller guys with insanely high-iq didn't really explode until they were older than Mitch is currently, and a bit more physically developed. Kane had his career year at 27, St. Louis at 29, Marc Savard at 28 (although rule changes contributed). The exception is Giroux at 23.

I'll always be a Leaf fan, but I would find it devastating to move on from Marner. It's just impossible to find players who think the game at the level he does. What he's accomplished without one other skill you can point to, and say he's clearly top 20 in the league at (unless you point to vision/passing as different than IQ) is astonishing. Even with the cap-hit disparity, I just don't see Nylander's top-end being comparable to the peak years out of Marner.

Marner is a top 20 player in the NHL????

are you f***ing kidding me?

 

[93LEAFS]

Marner is a top 20 player in the NHL????

are you f***ing kidding me?

I said you can't find one skill outside of his IQ/vision that he is clearly top 20 at such as shot, skating, etc. He's not a top 20 player in the league at this very moment, but he's still a ridiculous point producer.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Great player to have on your team. He plays to expectations, and doesn't make excuses after a poor season. 6.9 is fantastic value for him.

Average value.

Just looks good with Tavares and Marner overpay.

 

[Trapper]

If a deal comes up to improve your D, you make the move.
Jets are in the same boat, decimated on the rights side and Laine is 5th on the trade board. Whether they move him or not remains to be seen but you have to address serious issues. Going from 4 forwards to 3 forwards isn’t an issue. Improving the backend, better defensively and harder to play is.

 

[Notsince67]

Marner is a top 20 player in the NHL????

are you f***ing kidding me?

I'm a big Marner fan but I dont see this as so far out of reality. Nylander is a stronger skater and has a better shot.
Looking at the goat, Gretzky certainly wasn't the best skater and shooter in the league. His vision was supernatural. How someone sees the game has a lot to do with their talent level.
Unfortunately, you cant bottle that stuff.

 

[robertmac43]

See with Nylander, what we seen this year was real improvement. He was flat out a better player and when you see that in the big picture of his development it is easier to excuse some of his playoff performance to a degree. I think that's why I am so tough on Marner right now. I don't think he has improved a single part of his game. Maybe regress is the better word.

I'm hoping with Marner he will use the extended off season to refocus and come to camp ready to go. He said himself that the contract talks took a toll on him. He now has had some time away and the contract discussions are a thing of the past. Time for him to hit the ground rolling with a clean head.

 

[Trapper]

I don’t think anyone thinks he’s lazy.

Lazy is a tough word.
Not engaged at key times (like Marner said) is probably better.
The controller will often disconnect at various times for many of them.
Whether they are all like that, lack intensity, get overwhelmed by another team pushing against them, it’s a disconnect of the core.