The Toronto Maple Leafs have reached a point where the fanbase half-hopes the team continues to fumble for the rest of whatever is left of this season from hell, allowing management to replenish the roster with lucrative draft picks. However, despite the loud social media discussions about the team’s future, forward William Nylander has clearly expressed the locker room’s intentions amid the franchise’s turbulent times.
William Nylander on Maple Leafs’ Eight-Game Losing Streak
The Olympic break did not breathe new life into the Leafs; rather, Toronto is clearly in its worst form in a very long time. After the latest defeat at the hands of legendary rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, the Leafs have faced eight consecutive losses since play resumed after the Olympic break. It goes without saying that playoff hopes are dead and buried at this point.
The Leafs are a shell of what they were last year. While it is hard not to draw upon Mitch Marner’s blockbuster departure that destabilized the former Core Four, things have not quite been the same since his exit. What remains of the formidable core, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Nylander, has failed to recreate last season’s glory.
However, Nylander has set the record straight about what the team still wants, even though the disappointment of an eight-game losing streak hangs heavy on it: as unbelievable as it sounds, the Maple Leafs still want to play good hockey.
“It’s a lot of losses in a row now. Parts of all the games we’ve been playing, we’ve been playing snippets of good hockey. And I mean, that’s not how we want to play when we play a full game of good hockey,” Nylander said, as reported by James Mirtle in his latest contribution to The Athletic.
The 29-year-old winger was prophesied to reach ever-greater heights this season. Despite the Leafs’ overall dispiriting showing, Nylander leads the team with 60 points in 48 games so far and is currently on a six-game point streak. Matthews is second with 52 points.
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However, Nylander’s personal achievements on the ice have not translated into wins for the Maple Leafs, and the season is worsening with each game. Off the ice, too, Toronto has struggled significantly. GM Brad Treliving has attracted unrelenting criticism for his questionable moves at the trade deadline.
As successful as the Leafs were in getting profitable returns for Nicolas Roy, they were clearly on the losing end in trades for Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton. The Leafs need to come together and reevaluate their current situation to develop appropriate responses that can help the team escape this slump.
