William Nylander, like most of the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ players during this last stretch of games, looks dejected.
It’s a brand new situation for Nylander, who, like Auston Matthews and a few others on the team, hasn’t experienced missing the playoffs in the NHL yet. As it stands, Toronto is 11 points out of a playoff spot, with 18 games remaining in its season.
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They’ve also lost their last seven games coming out of the Olympic break. To put it into more of a perspective, though: Toronto has lost 13 of its last 16 games, dating back to Jan. 13 against the Utah Mammoth.
“I mean, hard to really stay optimistic in this situation,” a down Nylander said on Tuesday, ahead of the Maple Leafs’ game against the Montreal Canadiens. “But yeah, just try to get a win.”
This year has been difficult for Nylander for a multitude of reasons.
He’s missed 17 games this year due to a lingering groin injury. He lost out on a medal at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, falling in the quarterfinals to his Maple Leafs teammate, Auston Matthews, and the United States.
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(A positive is that, despite missing games, Nylander still leads the Maple Leafs with 21 goals and 59 points in 47 games this season.)
Now, for the first time in his career, Nylander’s season will end in mid-April, while half of the NHL gears up for the postseason.
“At the beginning there, after the break, it was a lot of frustration and everything,” Nylander continued.
“But now, I mean, it’s not going to help being frustrated. I think the mood in the locker room has changed a little bit, and I think that’s made it a better environment for everybody.”
If there’s any positive in this situation, it’s that the Maple Leafs aren’t too far off from being a playoff team once again. They’ve still got the core pieces, like a Matthews, a Nylander, a John Tavares.
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Even Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper believes this season is a one-off for Toronto.
But what does Nylander think?
“I sure hope that’s the case,” he said. “Otherwise… yeah.”
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Matthews, after Monday’s practice, said he sees a path back towards contention soon.
“Yeah, of course. I mean, I remember the Lightning missed the playoffs one year, and then the next year they’re back at the top of the division competing. I look at a team like Boston this year that had a down year, and same thing, like they’re in the mix,” Toronto’s captain said.
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“Sometimes that happens, and we’ve been fortunate to be in the playoffs for the last nine years or so. And you kind of hope that it’s a one-off and we can continue to build and continue to be in contention.
“Obviously, the focus is on right now and trying to get our game back and trying to get in the win column. But obviously, it’s something you think about.”
As mentioned, this is a unique situation for several Maple Leafs players. They’ve never been in this position, nor will they want to be in it again after this season.
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However, you’ve got to attempt to finish the year on a positive note. While fans might want the team to get as close to the bottom of the standings for draft purposes, head coach Craig Berube and his players are likely looking in the opposite direction.
It’s a difficult balance for a team. But battling through it is the only way to get back on track positively, says Berube.
“I mean, [Nylander has] always been in [the playoffs] and it’s new for him, for sure. But, you know, every player and team goes through adversity at one point in their career, and this is some adversity that he’s normally not used to. And like I said, he’s got to work his way out of it.”
