Since the 17th of January, when the Toronto Maple Leafs played the Florida Panthers, the Buds have had quite the busy schedule playing in a game every other day since then - a stretch of seven games in 13 days. After their 5-1 win yesterday, the team opted to hold an optional practice today, which star forward William Nylander headlined.
Nylander, the team's leader in goals and tied for the lead in points, was one of only two regular top six forwards on the ice today - the other being Calle Jarnkrok. In the video, Nylander can be seen working on his shot from the top of the circles, putting in the work to continue progressing in his game.
Since I can remember, Nylander has been pinned as a so-called "lazy player" who picks and chooses when to turn it on and off throughout games. Despite this and what has been made of his game, Leafs fans cannot say enough good things about his passion and work ethic this season. In correlation, the Leafs organization has praised his commitment and dedication to improvement since he's been drafted, showcasing that the lazy narrative is all just outside noise.
Nylander has been a player that has been consistent throughout the entire season, even when the Leafs found themselves in an early season slump. When the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Leafs last year, Nylander took it upon himself to take a step up this season in hopes that he can help to give his team an additional boost come April.