Friendly Fire: William Nylander’s Dangerous Warm-up Habit is Costing the Maple Leafs

William Nylander has always been a polarizing figure within the Toronto Maple Leafs fan base. Despite being undeniably one of the most elite talents on the roster, a vocal segment of fans simply can’t look past his nonchalant attitude and occasionally lackadaisical approach on the ice. This NHL season alone, Nylander has already found himself shrouded in controversy, most notably after flipping off a national television camera while sitting in the press box.

The Carefree Star vs. His Goaltenders

Nylander is frequently perceived as carefree. Some hockey analysts argue this makes him the perfect candidate to thrive in the pressure cooker of the Toronto sports market, thanks to his unique ability to block out the outside noise.

While that might be true, Nylander has also developed a more concerning reputation throughout his time in the NHL. Unfortunately for Maple Leafs goaltenders, it’s a reputation for carelessness, striking at the exact moment netminders are simply looking to get a feel for the puck and prepare for puck drop.

A Troubling Timeline of Friendly-Fire

The Garret Sparks Incident

The troubling trend began on January 3rd during a morning skate ahead of a matchup against the Minnesota Wild. Nylander fired a shot high, catching expected starting goalie Garret Sparks directly in the mask. The heavy shot left Sparks visibly stunned, eventually landing the netminder in the NHL’s concussion protocol. This forced the emergency recall of Michael Hutchinson, a goalie whom then Head Coach Mike Babcock admitted he hadn’t even met before being forced to start him. The Leafs ultimately lost that game 4-3 in overtime.

The Matt Murray Incident

While the Sparks injury seemed like a freak accident at face value, history repeated itself on January 27th ahead of a game against the Ottawa Senators. During the pregame skate, Nylander once again let a high shot fly. The puck caught Matt Murray in the neck and head area, forcing Toronto to unexpectedly pivot to Ilya Samsonov as their starter. The result? Another chaotic start and a 5-2 loss.

The Anthony Stolarz Incident

While two incidents could generously be dismissed as a fluke, last night’s pregame warmup against the Ottawa Senators proved otherwise. Once again, Nylander’s recklessness led to a goalie injury. Coming down the ice, he fired a high shot that struck Anthony Stolarz directly in the throat, sending the netminder straight to the bench. Stolarz was escorted off the ice and taken to a local hospital for precautionary imaging. Luckily, the scans came back negative, and Stolarz was cleared to travel home with the team.

Blissful Ignorance or Negligence?

To be perfectly clear: I am not suggesting any of these incidents are malicious, nor am I implying that Nylander is intentionally trying to injure his teammates. However, this established pattern is a glaring indication of either a complete lack of care for shot placement, or a stunning level of blissful ignorance. Both scenarios leave his teammates in incredibly vulnerable positions and have resulted in very real injuries.

The bigger problem for the Maple Leafs is the chaotic ripple effect these incidents create. On all three occasions, Nylander’s errant shots have forced the team to make a last-minute goaltending swap. On all three occasions, the Maple Leafs have lost. While those losses cannot be placed entirely on Nylander's shoulders, this pattern of negligence is alarming. For a player armed with such an accurate and lethal shot, it is incredibly difficult to believe that over the course of his career, he has "accidentally" taken out his own goalie three separate times.

If you had a nickel for every time William Nylander injured his own starting goalie, you'd only have three nickels. Three isn't a lot, but it sure is a convenient coincidence that it keeps happening.

Three Times is a Trend

For goaltenders, warm-ups are a time of supreme vulnerability. Anyone who has ever played the game knows that this period is dedicated to letting goalies track the puck and take controlled shots off their pads to settle into the game. Absolutely no goalie is standing in the crease expecting a teammate to rip a puck high and hard around their neck and face.

For the Maple Leafs, this is a behavioral issue that urgently needs to be brought under control. Once is a fluke, twice is an accident, but three times is a trend. It’s a trend that either stops immediately, or it shows exactly the kind of teammate William Nylander truly is.

Source: William Nylander @ Elite Prospects