A Leafs fan account is floating a theory tonight about William Nylander and John Chayka, just as Toronto's slide reaches four straight.
The Maple Leafs lost 6-3 to the Avalanche tonight and now sit at 8-10-2. With the team in a freefall, everyone wants to know why its highest-profile winger looks off.
Leafs Updates wondered whether Chayka approached Nylander about waiving his no-movement clause, and whether that conversation damaged the relationship.
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The same post offers two milder explanations first: a nagging injury, or "Willy being Willy." Nylander has no injury listed as of the latest update, so that one is a guess too.
Nothing in the facts backs up the no-movement clause theory. It is one fan's hunch, and it should be read that way.
What is on the record is that coach Jim Hiller has already pushed back publicly. Jim Hiller's comments on William Nylander were reported by David Alter earlier today, and the message was that Nylander can play better than he has lately.
That is a coach talking about effort and execution, not about a contract or a front-office conversation.
Nylander has 11 goals and 11 assists in 19 games this season, including 4 power-play goals. He is also a -3, and that number is what looks ugly on a team that has given up 70 goals.
Is Nylander really the problem in Toronto?
Not by himself. A player with 22 points in 19 games is not "not close to good enough," whatever the post says. His even-strength game and defensive details may well have slipped, and Hiller's words suggest as much. But the Leafs are allowing more goals than they score, and four straight losses cannot be pinned on one winger.
The no-movement clause angle is the part that deserves the most skepticism. A general manager asking a core forward to waive protection is a bad idea for a team that is 4-7-1 at home, and there is no report that it happened.
Toronto gets a chance to answer on Thursday against the Wild. Expect every Nylander shift to be scrutinized until the losing stops.
Quick hits
EDMONTON OILERS: Jason Gregor expects Tristan Jarry to start Wednesday against the Flyers, and he says a practice clue backs it up. Oilers fans will find out soon enough.
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ST. LOUIS BLUES: Jeremy Rutherford flagged a big scrum at the final horn of the Blues' 3-2 win over the Red Wings. Goalie Joel Hofer came over to get involved. That's a goalie who wants in on the party.
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MONTREAL CANADIENS: Cole Caufield took a slashing penalty with 53 seconds left in regulation, and the Canadiens lost 2-1 in overtime to the Wild. Fans are not happy about that one.
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COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: The Blue Jackets lost 4-1 to the Panthers at Nationwide Arena. Mark Scheig says the problem is the offense and the pressure on the top players.
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OTTAWA SENATORS: Cole Hutson scored his first career overtime goal as the Capitals beat the Senators 3-2 in Ottawa. Ottawa had to watch it happen at home.
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This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Is the Nylander criticism overblown for a player with 22 points in 19 games?
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