William Nylander

Lore & Background

Nylander was born in Calgary while his father Michael Nylander played for the Calgary Flames. He spent most of his youth in the United States as the family followed Michael's career to Tampa Bay, Chicago, Washington, Boston, and New York. At age 14, the family relocated to Sweden, where William developed his game with Södertälje SK and Rögle BK before breaking into the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) as a 17-year-old with MoDo Hockey. He made his professional debut in the HockeyAllsvenskan on 14 February 2013, playing alongside his father and earning an assist on a goal by Robert Carlsson.

After being drafted eighth overall by the Maple Leafs in 2014, Nylander signed a three-year entry-level contract and began the 2014–15 season with MoDo Hockey before being reassigned to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL in January 2015. He made his NHL debut on 29 February 2016 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and scored his first NHL goal on 5 March 2016 against Andrew Hammond of the Ottawa Senators. Nylander made the Maple Leafs roster full-time the following season, debuting alongside Zach Hyman and Auston Matthews on 12 October 2016. He was named NHL Rookie of the Month for October 2016 after recording 11 points in nine games.

Nylander became a restricted free agent in the 2018 off-season and held out until minutes before the 1 December deadline, when he agreed to a six-year, $45 million contract. He changed his jersey number from 29 to 88 ahead of the 2019–20 season, covering the cost for fans to get their jerseys changed. On 8 January 2024, he signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension, the largest in Maple Leafs history by total value. He was named to his first All-Star Game in 2024 after leading all skaters in fan voting.

Reader's Guide

William Nylander's significance to the Toronto Maple Leafs is defined by his consistent offensive production and his role as a core member of the team's forward group. After being drafted eighth overall in 2014, he developed through the AHL with the Toronto Marlies before becoming a full-time NHL player in the 2016–17 season. His early chemistry with Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman helped Matthews set an NHL record for most goals in a rookie's debut. Nylander's career trajectory shows steady improvement: he recorded 61 points in each of his first two full seasons, then set career highs in goals and points over subsequent campaigns, including his first 80-point season in 2021–22 and back-to-back 40-goal seasons in 2022–23 and 2023–24. His 98-point season in 2023–24 included a franchise-record 17-game point streak to start the season. Nylander's contract negotiations in 2018 and 2024 drew significant attention; the latter deal became the largest contract in Maple Leafs history by total value. He represented Sweden internationally, winning gold at the 2017 World Championship and being named tournament MVP. His play style, characterized by offensive flair and speed, has made him a key offensive driver for the Maple Leafs through multiple playoff appearances.

Did You Know?

• He scored his first NHL hat-trick on 4 February 2017 against the Boston Bruins.
• He missed the first three games of the 2024 playoffs due to migraines so severe that team doctors tested to verify he was not concussed.

A Hockey Dynasty in Motion

William Nylander's story begins with a family that treated the NHL as an endless road trip. Born in Calgary on May 1, 1996, while his father Michael played for the Flames, young William followed his dad through Tampa Bay, Chicago, Washington, Boston, and New York, spending most of his childhood in the United States. At fourteen, the family uprooted once more, this time to Sweden—Michael's homeland—where William began honing his craft with clubs like Södertälje SK and Rögle BK. The father-son bond on the ice reached a touching peak on February 14, 2013, when William made his HockeyAllsvenskan debut alongside Michael at Södertälje, picking up an assist in his very first professional game. By seventeen, he had broken into the Swedish Hockey League with MoDo Hockey, where he logged as much as twenty minutes of ice per night during his 2013–14 rookie stretch. That blend of American upbringing and Swedish development shaped a player who carried both worlds into the NHL.

From Draft Day to the Big Stage

Selected eighth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL entry draft, Nylander signed a three-year entry-level deal on August 18, 2014, and spent the first half of that season with MoDo, collecting eight goals and twelve assists in twenty-one games before being reassigned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies in January 2015. His arrival transformed a bottom-dwelling Marlies squad, as he posted thirty-two points in just thirty-seven games on the right wing, helping the team claw into the Calder Cup playoffs. His NHL debut came on February 29, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Lightning at nineteen years old. Five days later, he scored his first NHL goal against Ottawa's Andrew Hammond—a moment with a poignant family connection, as the assist came from Brooks Laich, the same player who had assisted Michael Nylander on his final NHL goal. Standing just five-foot-nine and 169 pounds at the draft combine, Nylander had drawn criticism for his size and defensive game, yet his offensive flair and puck-moving vision had earned him that first-round selection.

The Matthews Line and a Breakout Era

Nylander's full-time NHL arrival in 2016–17 was electric. Slotting into the top line with Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman, he helped Matthews set an NHL record by assisting on two of the rookie's four goals in their season-opener against Ottawa. Nylander was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October after recording eleven points in nine games—second in the league and first among rookies. His season culminated in a career-first hat-trick against the Boston Bruins on February 4, 2017, and a 61-point total that helped Toronto reach the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they fell to Washington in six games. The following year, Nylander matched that output with another 61 points, and in a memorable moment, he scored the lone overtime goal against New Jersey, becoming only the second player in franchise history after Miroslav Fryčer to win a regulation game in overtime. Despite a frustrating eleven-game scoring drought early that season, his consistency on the Matthews line cemented his role as a cornerstone forward.

The Unsigned Summer and a New Number

The 2018 off-season became one of the most tense chapters in Nylander's career. As a restricted free agent, he refused to sign a bridge deal, demanding a long-term extension instead. He skipped training camp, skated in Sweden and Austria, and reportedly lost thirty thousand dollars in pay for every day he remained unsigned. The Maple Leafs even began fielding trade offers just weeks before the December 1 eligibility deadline. In a dramatic finish, Nylander agreed to a six-year, forty-five-million-dollar contract mere minutes before the cutoff. He was a healthy scratch for his return game but debuted on December 6 against Detroit, only to struggle for the remainder of the season with twenty-seven points in fifty-four games. Looking ahead to 2019–20, he changed his jersey from 29—a reversal of his father's 92—to 88, a number he had worn when first turning pro in Sweden and a tribute to Patrick Kane. In a gesture of goodwill, Nylander personally covered the cost for fans who needed their jerseys renumbered.