William Nylander’s name still carries plenty of weight around the NHL, and NHL Network just made that clear by slotting him 10th on its Top-20 wingers list heading into the 2026-27 season. For Toronto, that ranking only sharpens the spotlight. If the Maple Leafs are going to get where they want to go this season, Nylander has to be a major reason why.
Even with missed time, Nylander put together 79 points in 65 games last season. His 30 goals were a step down from his usual pace, but he was still tracking toward 38 goals over a full year. That kind of production keeps him firmly in the elite tier, and it’s why he’ll again be counted on heavily in the top six and treated as one of Jim Hiller’s main offensive weapons.
NHL Network’s placement of Nylander came ahead of several notable names, including Tampa’s Jake Guentzel at No. 16, Florida’s Sam Reinhart at No.
14, Brady Tkachuk at No. 18, and Los Angeles’ Artemi Panarin at No. 12.
The case for Nylander wasn’t built only on his scoring touch, either. It also leaned on what he’s already accomplished in Toronto and the milestones sitting right in front of him.
He is eight goals away from becoming the sixth Maple Leaf to reach 300, nine points shy of becoming the eighth to hit 700, and one assist away from 400, which would make him the ninth player in franchise history to reach that mark. NHL Network also pointed to his record-setting 15th overtime goal, which moved him past Auston Matthews and Mats Sundin for the most in team history. He has since added a 16th, extending that record a little further.
That blend of production and franchise significance is a big part of why Nylander landed in the Top 10. He’s not just a dangerous scorer; he’s already carved out a real place in Maple Leafs history.
But the next step is about more than numbers. Nylander still has to show he can handle more responsibility under Jim Hiller, and that means doing the work away from the puck as well as on it. Questions about his motivation have followed him before, and his tension with Craig Berube came from Berube feeling Nylander didn’t give 100% at times, something he considered unacceptable for an $11.5M per year player.
Berube later said their relationship was an overall good one, but he still had issues with Nylander’s attitude. That kind of friction is the last thing Toronto needs now. In a season where the Leafs need contributions from everyone, Nylander can’t afford to drift through shifts or give coaches reason to wonder where his effort is at.
Toronto is in win-now mode, and that means no room for passengers. The highlight-reel goals and open-ice breakaways will always be part of Nylander’s game, and they’re a big reason he earned this ranking in the first place. But if those moments come with defensive lapses or a lack of urgency, it becomes a problem.
Nylander’s talent is beyond dispute. The question now is whether he can pair that game-breaking ability with a bigger team impact under Hiller.
His individual résumé is already strong. What comes next is proving he can carry even more of the load.
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