Nylander is (possibly) getting called up

[LuncheonMeat]

I enjoyed Ovechkin's comments this morning when talking about facing Laich:

?It?ll be kind of strange,? said Alex Ovechkin, who is now the longest-serving Capital. ?We?re gonna have a power play and he?s going to be on [the penalty kill] and I?m going to shoot him in the foot.?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/03/01/former-caps-teammates-wish-brooks-laich-well-plan-to-shoot-him-in-the-foot/

 

[Kin]

So based on a couple conversations I had today and watching the game last night it seems like young Mr. Nylander has the potential to become very popular with the distaff and certain non-traditional branches of Leafs Nation.

Which I only bring up because with the changing of the guard and his potential to put on a good showing in these last few games of the season you wonder if he'll very quickly be made the public face of the team. 

 

[Deebo]

I had to look up "distaff".

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I had to look up "distaff".

Same. Even then it took me a little bit.

But that does seem like a pretty good bet. Nylander seems pretty happy in the spotlight too.

 

[rdowdall]

That's a young Mats Sundin if I ever saw one.

 

[Frank E]

So based on a couple conversations I had today and watching the game last night it seems like young Mr. Nylander has the potential to become very popular with the distaff and certain non-traditional branches of Leafs Nation.

Which I only bring up because with the changing of the guard and his potential to put on a good showing in these last few games of the season you wonder if he'll very quickly be made the public face of the team.

Perhaps, but only until a veteran leader with Captain ability and experience signs here this summer. 

A proven leader on and off the ice.

A man with a Lightning shot.

A man that understands the pressures of being a star player and managing life in the age of the twittersphere ah fine yeah I'm talking about Stamkos.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Nylander seems pretty happy in the spotlight too.

As he says on Twitter, "Give me the puck ;-) "

 

[herman]

[tweet]715571986055831552[/tweet]

 

[bustaheims]

[tweet]715571986055831552[/tweet]

Makes sense. Get him a little time to re-adjust to life in the AHL before the playoffs.

 

[Highlander]

To be honest he as been floating a bit the last few games.  Send a message to the lad.

 

[Bullfrog]

To be honest he as been floating a bit the last few games.  Send a message to the lad.

Agreed. Message being: you're too good to not be down helping the Marlies win a championship.

 

[ZBBM]

To be honest he as been floating a bit the last few games.  Send a message to the lad.

I don't think he's been floating at all.  He's played both sides of the puck pretty avidly, in fact.  He manages to get from A to B pretty fluidly, so it just looks like he's not trying.

 

[harps64]

To be honest he as been floating a bit the last few games.  Send a message to the lad.

I think he's been a tad unlucky to be honest, he could easily have another 4 or 5 points. he has set up Boyes and a few others with simple tap ins, but somehow they failed to score. Pretty sure he hit the iron a few times as well.

 

[Highlander]

you know you are right, I probably have Sundin like expectations for him and it will take him at least 4 or 5 years to even try to wear those shoes.

 

[nutman]

you know you are right, I probably have Sundin like expectations for him and it will take him at least 4 or 5 years to even try to wear those shoes.

4-5 years... lol. it don't take that long for good players to show up, if he is as good as they say we will see it start to show in the next year or so. defence takes 2-3 years. but first line forwards should be on the climb in year two.

 

[Highlander]

true dat Nutman

 

[ZBBM]

To be honest he as been floating a bit the last few games.  Send a message to the lad.

I don't think he's been floating at all.  He's played both sides of the puck pretty avidly, in fact.  He manages to get from A to B pretty fluidly, so it just looks like he's not trying.

Well, as soon as post this he goes out and has a game where he was no more effective than a soap bubble out there.  He's got to eliminate that kind of play, pronto.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

To be honest he as been floating a bit the last few games.  Send a message to the lad.

I don't think he's been floating at all.  He's played both sides of the puck pretty avidly, in fact.  He manages to get from A to B pretty fluidly, so it just looks like he's not trying.

Well, as soon as post this he goes out and has a game where he was no more effective than a soap bubble out there.  He's got to eliminate that kind of play, pronto.

I see we're right onto the unreasonable expectations for teenagers portion of the rebuild.

 

[herman]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/william-nylander-needs-to-prove-hes-got-some-big-league-fight-in-him/article29488306/

What makes him unique has been on display early with the Leafs. When Nylander is effective, he has the puck, which is why the organization has made a big push for him to play at centre. Listed at 190 pounds, he doesn?t look big on the ice, but his principal talents aren?t about strength. They?re his vision and ability to control the play, sometimes by dancing high in the offensive zone ? where the defence typically stations ? to create openings and confusion among defenders.

From there, he can survey the entire offensive zone, and either find a teammate or fire a shot on net.

?His skill set is special,? Keefe, the Marlies? coach, said. ?You really see it at this level. He?s very patient with the puck. His head?s up a lot. He sees a lot of things on the ice that other people don?t see. He?s one of these unique players that has the ability to play at what can often come across as slow because he?s one of those guys that?s slowing the game down. He?s a unique player in that sense.?

?A lot of forwards are best below the top of the circles,? defenceman Connor Carrick explained. ?He can work with that extra five to 10 feet between the blueline and the top of the circle and create space for himself and keep guys on his hips and cut back and do the things that you?re seeing him do. I remember [Red Wings star Pavel] Datsyuk did that a lot when I was growing up. I?m not saying that?s the comparison. But he?s able to make plays up in those areas and take guys 1-on-1, skate them into areas to create a 2-on-1. That?s the idea offensively. I think he does it so naturally.?

[...]

?He plays in the middle of the ice so he kind of needs a little bit of give,? Carrick said. ?You can?t be really leaning on your stick to try to create the passing lanes because the longer you?re leaning on your stick the easier it is for the other guys to read it. They?re getting your pass. If he can kind of sling it east and west real quick, it helps him.?

[...]

?He?s a young guy finding his way,? Keefe said. ?There?s a lot of attention on him, and he?s dealing with a lot. But he doesn?t change his attitude or his demeanour. The guys appreciate that.?

?He?s a driven kid,? Clune said. ?He works hard in the gym. Likes to train. He?s your regular 19-year-old, but he?s also a superstar. There?s no ego with him, which is cool to see.

?But I think his heart broke when he had to cut his long, blond hair that he was in love with.?

 

[ZBBM]

To be honest he as been floating a bit the last few games.  Send a message to the lad.

I don't think he's been floating at all.  He's played both sides of the puck pretty avidly, in fact.  He manages to get from A to B pretty fluidly, so it just looks like he's not trying.

Well, as soon as post this he goes out and has a game where he was no more effective than a soap bubble out there.  He's got to eliminate that kind of play, pronto.

I see we're right onto the unreasonable expectations for teenagers portion of the rebuild.

What, exactly, is unreasonable about asking a forward to play defense consistently?  I'll save you the trouble: nothing.