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William Nylander blasts Leafs coach Craig Berube for not giving him enough ice time

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Daniel Lucente
October 31, 2024  (4:55 PM)
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Toronto Maple Leafs William Nylander sits on the bench looking up
Photo credit: CBC screenshot

William Nylander doesn't seem to be very happy with how many minutes Leafs coach Craig Berube is giving him, and he has just called him out for that.

William Nylander's ice time this season has seen a significant decrease compared to last year. For the season, he is averaging about two minutes less per game under Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube. Nylander averaged 19:55 per game last season but that total has dropped down to 18:01 through the first ten games of the 2024-25 season. This is said to have been discussed between Nylander and Berube, who have spoken with each other quite extensively before and after the on-ice sessions.

"Yeah, I mean that is a little bit what I've been trying to talk to Chief about, to get that ice time back to where it was before," Nylander said during the club's morning skate ahead of their game against the Seattle Kraken. "I think it helps my game a lot to do what I want to be able to do out there, so yeah, hopefully something to figure out."


Their talks reportedly included discussions on Nylander's ice time. Berube has lessened Nylander's role, particularly when it comes to handling the team's penalty kill. With the Leafs taking an inordinate amount of penalties this season, Berube has opted to rotate different players out, including superstar forward Auston Matthews, in Nylander's spot on the penalty kill. Because of that, Nylander is not seeing regular use on the kill like he has in past seasons.

The Leafs are one of the most penalized teams in the league right now, going into Thursday ranked fifth in times shorthanded with 41 penalties. This likely has factored into Nylander's decrease in total ice time, as more time is allocated to special teams. Nylander being off the ice on the penalty kill is also a tactical choice by Berube, who continues to tinker with rotations trying to find anything that might work for his group in short situations.

Nylander entered Monday's game against the Jets with no points in his last three games, an uncommon drought for him considering how well his season started. Paired up for the first time with John Tavares and Max Pacioretty, Nylander busted out of his season-long slump with a goal and two assists in a 6-4 Maple Leafs win over Winnipeg. A positive omen for Nylander and the Leafs alike, this performance came as the team continued to seek out ways to maximize his offense after changes to his ice time.

While William Nylander's reduced ice time might seem like something to be concerned about, Craig Berube has made clear that he does not have an issue with Nylander advocating for himself. To this point, Nylander leads the team in goals, with six, and has four assists over the first ten games. The message from Berube has been about trying to find a balance that will keep the team competitive while also managing the workloads of players.

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William Nylander blasts Leafs coach Craig Berube for not giving him enough ice time

Will William Nylander start seeing more ice time?

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