Jim Hiller Fires Back After William Nylander’s Puck Complaint

Jim Hiller wants to see the William Nylander he remembers from his first run with the Maple Leafs.

That version of Nylander carried the puck through the neutral zone, took defenders wide and found secondary options.

The current version hangs around the opposition blueline during breakouts.

Nylander himself noticed the difference.

"I feel like it's been a weird season in that way," Nylander said after Wednesday's practice.

"I feel like I haven't had puck nearly as much as I usually have in, you know, neutral zone, O-zone."

He has 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points in 17 games.

That puts him 10th in league scoring and second on the team.

But the puck isn't on his stick the way it used to be.

Hiller agreed with his star forward's assessment.

"I would agree with him," Hiller said.

"That's been a constant conversation with Willy and I."

The coach pointed to a specific area where Nylander needs to change.

"We've talked a lot about him maybe coming back for the puck a little bit more," Hiller said.

"Maybe spending less time in the neutral zone waiting for the puck, and more time in our own zone trying to be the guy that is the breakout outlet and carrying."

The numbers tell a clear story.

Among Maple Leafs forwards who have played more than 10 games this season at 5-on-5, Nylander has the third-lowest shot attempts percentage at 43.7 percent.

Only Gavin McKenna and Nick Paul are lower.

His Corsi share stands at 43.61 percent, again third-lowest among that group.

Last season, Nylander posted a 47.88 percent Corsi share, the second-best number on the team behind John Tavares.

Hiller remembers when Nylander was a different player with the puck.

"Certainly, the point production is there," Hiller said.

"But I'm used to seeing him back in the day where he would carry the puck through the neutral zone, and he would take people wide and turn up and find a secondary option."

"He just hasn't had a lot of those looks."

Nylander's role in breakouts has shifted.

These days, he tends to stay near the opposition blueline, waiting for a pass.

He rarely carries the puck up the ice unless it's a power-play zone entry.

In recent years, he has been known to get sprung for breakaways on thread-the-needle passes.

But that style has its limits.

Hiller wants Nylander to come deeper into the defensive zone to become the primary breakout option.

Nylander acknowledged he doesn't know exactly why his puck touches have dropped.

"I don't know exactly what that is coming down to," Nylander said.

"But I mean, that's something trying to get sorted."

The Leafs are dealing with injuries that affect line combinations.

On Tuesday, Nylander played on a line with Nick Paul and Dakota Joshua.

Paul is a solid second-line center filling in for the injured John Tavares.

Joshua is not known as a play-driving winger.

Typically, Nylander skates with Tavares and rookie Gavin McKenna.

Those linemates create more opportunities for puck possession.

The coaching staff has had ongoing conversations with Nylander about adjusting his tendencies.

Hiller made clear the message is not new.

It has been a "constant conversation" between coach and player.

Nylander's raw offensive numbers remain strong.

He is tracking above a point-per-game pace.

But the underlying metrics suggest his game at even strength needs work.

Puck possession is commonly measured by shot attempts and Corsi percentage.

Corsi counts all shot attempts toward the net — goals, saves, misses and blocks — while a player is on the ice.

A number above 50 percent means a team controls more shot attempts with that player on the ice than without.

Nylander's 43.61 percent means the Leafs are getting outshot when he is on the ice at 5-on-5.

Only McKenna and Paul have worse numbers among Toronto forwards who have played at least 10 games.

Last season, Nylander was one of the team's best possession players.

His 47.88 percent Corsi share was second only to Tavares.

The drop has been noticeable to both the player and the coaching staff.

Hiller's public comments are direct but not unusual for a coach addressing a star player.

He is asking Nylander to do more work in the defensive zone to earn those touches.

The solution, in Hiller's view, starts with Nylander's positioning.

Instead of waiting at the neutral-zone blueline for a pass, Hiller wants him to drop deeper.

From there, Nylander can receive the puck in motion and carry it through the neutral zone himself.

That is the style Hiller remembers from Nylander's early years with the Leafs.

Nylander has not pushed back against the criticism.

He admitted the season has felt "weird" in terms of puck touches.

He said he is working on getting it sorted out.

The Leafs are under pressure to perform.

Toronto has high expectations every season, and any dip in a star player's effectiveness becomes a talking point.

Nylander is in the second year of an eight-year, $92 million contract.

He signed that deal in January 2024, making him one of the highest-paid players on the team.

With that contract comes an expectation of driving play, not just scoring points.