The Maple Leafs Needed William Nylander More Than They Knew

What happens when a player stops being just a player and starts becoming part of the culture of a franchise? That might be happening with William Nylander in Toronto. Interestingly, it probably wasn't obvious a few years ago. Nylander came into the Maple Leafs organization as the talented, skinny kid with the great hair, the fancy clothes and the personality that didn't always fit neatly into the traditional Maple Leafs box. There were plenty of nights when fans loved him. There were plenty of others when they wondered if he was ever going to become the player everyone thought he could be.

Nylander is entering his 12th season in the Blue & White.

He's entering his 12th NHL season, and something has changed. Nylander isn't the quirky kid anymore. He's one of the old guys. He's played his entire career in Toronto, signed an eight-year contract to stay, and has now become one of the most recognizable players in the organization. And with Mitch Marner gone, that carries a little more weight.

Nylander isn't simply another star on the roster anymore. He's one of the guys who stayed. That matters when you're talking about a franchise that has spent years trying to convince its best players—and its fans—that Toronto can be home.

What's especially interesting is that Nylander seems to understand that being a modern NHL star is about more than what happens on the ice. His YouTube channel, “Willy Styles,” gives fans a look at his life, his family, and the things he's interested in outside of hockey. He has shared everything from Formula 1 adventures to Maple Leafs moments, including his reaction with Matthew Knies to Toronto winning the draft lottery and getting Gavin McKenna. That's not just another hockey player giving another interview. He's creating his own relationship with the people watching him.

Nylander is the bridge between the Maple Leafs’ past and their future.

And maybe that's where Nylander's role gets really interesting. He's now sitting somewhere between generations. He remembers what it was like to arrive in Toronto as a kid. He's been through the Matthews era, the Marner era and all the playoff disappointments that came with them. Now he's going to watch another young generation arrive, with McKenna potentially becoming the next face of the franchise.

Nylander seems to be everywhere representing the team, from the Toronto transit system to the beaches of Cannes, France. He may not have set out to become a bridge between the old Maple Leafs and the new ones. But that's what he has become. And maybe that's something Toronto didn't know it needed.

The bottom line is that Nylander has gone from being the kid people weren't sure about to being the veteran who represents continuity after Marner's departure.