The less said about the Toronto Maple Leafs this season the better, but that’s not exactly how it works in a big market. What was supposed to be the dawn of a new era after Mitch Marner’s exit has swiftly devolved into a chaotic mess that will likely end with the Leafs giving up their first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
So, how did the Leafs get here? It turns out $92 million man, William Nylander, has a theory. The only issue is that he’s intent on zipping his lips amid Toronto’s freefall.
William Nylander Maintains His Silence on Maple Leafs’ Disastrous Season
The messaging coming out of Toronto after shipping Marner out to the Vegas Golden Knights was simple: “We’ll be fine.” *Record scratch* they haven’t.
What was meant to be a march towards, at the minimum, the playoffs first devolved into sell mode at the trade deadline. Eventually, the Leafs brass made peace with the fact that this season wasn’t going anywhere. But even after they unofficially gave up on the year, maybe the #EmbraceTheTank message didn’t exactly get across.
Consecutive wins over the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers mean that Toronto now has the eighth-worst record in the NHL by points percentage. Even the tank isn’t going according to plan.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a weekend matchup against the St. Louis Blues, William Nylander was asked for his thoughts on where it all went wrong. Nylander, ever the politician, said, “I have my thoughts about maybe some stuff, but that’s something I’m going to keep to myself.”
There are, of course, multiple ways to decipher this statement. For starters, Leafs fans believe Nylander isn’t exactly on board with head coach Craig Berube’s system, even if it leans towards offense.
The bottom line is that this summer will mean more changes in Toronto. Berube’s future is up in the air, and general manager Brad Treliving isn’t faring any better, especially after failing to get a first-round pick for Bobby McMann, who was traded to the Seattle Kraken. The Leafs ended up with a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. McMann has since been on fire for Seattle.
Toronto will also have one eye on getting younger in this summer’s “retool,” considering the fact that they were outskated in last year’s playoffs.
With Mitch Marner not faring any better in Sin City (Vegas will, for the first time in franchise history, end the season with more losses than wins), it appears the crucial summer of 2025 hasn’t gone to plan for either franchise.
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