William Nylander has all of a sudden become front and center in Toronto Maple Leafs land.
Just three games into the season, the fanbase is already getting restless, as their team just lost two straight to the Detroit Red Wings and hasn’t looked great in the process.
While it’s still far too early to panic, the play of William Nylander has stuck out in particular for many, and not for good reasons.
Despite producing points, the superstar winger has looked rather passive thus far and was called out for it by his head coach after Monday’s loss. On Tuesday, it was former Maple Leaf, now analyst, Jay Rosehill’s turn to give his take on Nylander’s start to the season, and it’s safe to say he hasn’t been fond of it.
“The biggest thing to me is like the intensity, and I guess just the effort level; it looks s**t… I mean, Willy Nylander is the leader of this team in a lot of ways; he’s one of the best players on the team. Man, that’s a good way to piss people off is to have that lackadaisical attitude towards the game, like you’re above it or you don’t care; it’s beneath you to try. It looks like s**t. And I know he’s done it before, but you’ve got to step up without Mitchy,” Rosehill said.
“You can pull the clips of his lowlights of him not trying, and it’s like I would expect to be told to take my s**t off if I gave that kind of effort in that league. I know Willy’s a different cat, but I’m not thrilled with the first handful of games I’ve watched,” Rosehill added.
It’s October — not a summer skate.
You can’t play that casual & expect results.
The #LeafsForever need way MORE from William Nylander: pic.twitter.com/y8t5TA5ROl
— Jay Rosehill (@Jay_D_Rosehill) October 14, 2025
The 29-year-old Nylander just began the second season of the eight-year, $92 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2024.
Nylander can handle the criticism and pressure
Very few take on the media and the hockey market that is Toronto better than William Nylander.
His laid-back personality and ability to brush off negativity are partly why he’s thrived in his time as a Maple Leaf.
Perhaps that’s also why Craig Berube and others are more willing to give Nylander a public wake-up call, knowing that it will motivate him to perform and bounce back.
It’s only week two of the regular season, but Berube knows how important every game is, and the Maple Leafs don’t want to fall too far behind the eight-ball.
All of that being said, look for a big night from William Nylander on Tuesday when they welcome the Nashville Predators to Toronto.
