The most interesting man on the Toronto Maple Leafs is as interesting as ever this fall.
William Nylander is starring in Amazon’s NHL docuseries, moving to centre (maybe), and beginning the eight-year contract he signed in January, which comes with the sixth-highest cap hit in the league at $11.5 million.
Following a recent practice, Nylander took some time to speak to The Athletic about the challenges of his possible position change and his own rising expectations after the best season of his NHL career.
The interview has been edited for clarity.
Playing centre. How did you find out in the summer? How did that all work?
Well, Chief (Craig Berube) just called me early on and said that I may be playing centre. And then he called me again later saying that he wanted me to play centre or try to play centre. (I said), “Honestly, yeah, whatever you want to do is fine with me.”
You’ve said you told Craig you just want to be given a chance to adjust to playing centre. What does that mean, just a chance to get comfortable with it?
Yeah, if I’m willing to play centre, I can’t just step (on the ice) for two practices before the first game and then – it’s like (I’m) game-ready. I need time.
What is the adjustment like? You talk to people who’ve played the wing and they’re like, you have to see the game a different way playing centre, you have to be in different spots on the ice – what is different about it?
Of course, you have to be in different spots on the ice. But I played centre before. Like when I was drafted I was playing centre. So I’ve been in that position. I was in the Marlies, I think I was playing centre. My first (NHL) game, my first 22 games up here I was playing centre. It’s just a little bit of an adjustment when I’ve been playing (the last) six, seven years on the wing.
You see guys go from centre to wing, but you don’t usually go wing to centre.
Well, I know, I think it puts me in a good position too. I can get the puck more in the middle of the ice with a little bit more options coming from the middle. You can go either way (with the puck) – kick it that way, kick it that way. Versus if you’re on the wing, offensively, you have one option, kind of, on that side. If you’re stuck on one side. But defensively yeah, there’s a lot of different responsibilities as a centre. For me, it’s also important that I know I have somebody that I can play with that can help me defensively.
Nylander grins.
That’s Calle (Järnkrok) right?
Yeah. I also don’t want to feel like I lose offensively…
Well, I was thinking some of the breakaway attempts you get, what happens to those?
Oh, those probably won’t happen. Maybe I’ll be passing to somebody instead. I’ll be telling Calle or (Max Domi), “Just go!”
Well, the defensive side of it, is the adjustment mental? Is it a focus thing? Is it physically? What are some of the challenges?
Yeah, a little bit physically too. Because you’re in the corners and you’re trying to stop plays defensively to get the puck to your forwards. Versus I’ve been the guy at forward that’s waiting for the puck to come to me. So that’s a little bit different. Getting back – the centre is very important to get back and help the D. As a winger, you can just hope for a breakaway.
Is it right that you began preparing for the change before you got to training camp? What kind of preparation did you do? Was it stuff on the ice? Was it stuff with your dad?
For me, it was just like mentally – we were doing drills like I’m playing centre. I’m just carrying the puck up the ice, you’re kicking it out from the middle, driving the middle, stuff like that. And instead of playing the entire summer on the wing, getting pucks on the wing, I’d come in and play centre. I just wanted to know early on so I could get used to those kind of plays and be comfortable – or be adjusted to playing in the middle.
Your dad played centre forever in the NHL. Can he help you?
We haven’t really talked about that so much, playing centre. But once the season starts, if he sees something, then he might tell me, “Think about this next time.”
How long do you think it will take for you where it’s more instinctual and you’re not thinking? Like, does it take 10 games, does it take five, 20?
I don’t know. I think maybe it takes five games, 10 games into the season to feel good. And it’s only gonna get better and better the more and more I play. We’ve been doing a lot of defensive systems (work) now, so I do feel pretty good.
I was looking through some past years and you would play centre for a game, then you wouldn’t play it for months, and then in the playoffs you might do it again. I think in 2019 you played there in the playoffs. (Note: With Nazem Kadri suspended, Nylander played centre in Games 3-7 against Boston.) It must have been hard to do that. Even last fall it was really quick.
When you get thrown in there, it’s not so bad. Because for me, I just got thrown in there and had to just play the role. So if something happened, it’s like, what was I gonna do?
Like you’re throwing me into this.
Yeah. So for me it was fine because I tried my best. But I don’t really think anything bad really happened when I was playing centre anyway.
Last fall, did it just feel like Sheldon (Keefe) wasn’t into it? Like, do you feel different with Craig, like Craig is going to see it through?
Yeah, I mean, there’s been no talk about doing anything else from Craig. But I don’t know with Sheldon. Maybe he saw something in the way the lineup (looked) and he didn’t want me playing centre. I don’t know what his thoughts were, you know? It might not have to be with me even playing centre, myself.
Right, it might be the lineup and how the lineup shakes out?
Yeah. So, he might have felt like it could have been a good idea at the beginning and then he saw the lineup and whatever and he wanted to change back to the way it was before.
Well, was there no part of you that’s like, “I’m one of the best wingers in the game and now I’m moving to centre”? Does that not enter your mind at all?
No, like, I playing wing. But centre, I see the upside also of playing centre as well.
Especially for the team, right?
Yeah, I’m not really worried about (myself). Whatever will make our team better in the long run to win I think is more important than me feeling comfortable playing wing. If that’s where they think is better for me to play for the team then that’s where I’ll play.
Mentally, for goals and stuff for the season. Does it change now at this point in your career? You’ve put up great numbers. Does it shift at all what you want to accomplish?
Of course. Like I’ve said every year I’ve always wanted to get better from the year before. And that’s my goal this year: I just want to be better than what I was last year.
What does that look like? In your mind, do you have an idea of what that looks like?
Yeah, better defensively, better offensively. Just become a better all-around player.
Well now do you think, “Hey, I want to become one of the best centres in the league?”
Well, we have one of the best centres on our team. So it’s pretty hard to compete against. But I’ll try my best to be up there with him obviously.
Last year you had the whole contract thing in the background. Does it feel different this year? I was thinking maybe the motivation is different this year, just because now you have the contract you want to prove yourself again. Is that how you’re thinking about it?
For me, the contract (situation last year) maybe was a little bit different, a little bit more I put pressure on myself. Now I have pressure to do better than what I did last year. That’s my goal.
Like internal pressure?
Yeah, like I want more from myself than what I did last year. That’s it. And that’s every year.
Forever and ever?
Yeah, I try to. You never want to be just, what do you say?
Dropping off?
No, no. You never want to be, what’s the word? Content.
(Top photo: Nick Lachance / Toronto Star via Getty Images)
