‘I’d Be More Concerned If We Weren’t Scoring Goals’: William Nylander Believes Maple Leafs’ Defensive Play Is Fixable

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‘I’d Be More Concerned If We Weren’t Scoring Goals’: William Nylander Believes Maple Leafs’ Defensive Play Is Fixable

The Toronto Maple Leafs look to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the Los Angeles Kings at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. Much of the club’s problems have been related to its poor defensive play, which has persisted throughout the season

William Nylander weighed in on the issue.

“I think that defensively we have been struggling, and that is something that can be fixed, and you can adjust and make changes to be better at that, with better attention to details,” he said. “I would be more worried if we weren’t scoring goals because that’s harder, I think, to do. Not letting in goals has been hard for us this year, and that’s something that you can change and adjust and do better.”

The Leafs are in the bottom 5 of every defensive metric, from goals allowed per game to the level of goaltending they have received. This is a stark contrast to the vastly better goaltending they received in 2024-25.

Now without star center Auston Matthews (lower-body injury), it’s on the Leafs to snap out of a funk with their remaining roster.

“That’s the key is stringing it together. To do that, we just have to be mentally sharp and on the same page throughout the entire 60 (minutes),” Nylander said. “I think a lot of communication in situations like this is key—to talk a lot to get that flow of the game where everything starts clicking. We’ve got to talk about it to get there.”

Nylander leads the Leafs with 24 points in 14 games (eight goals, 16 assists). He addressed several topics including how to fill the void of Matthews being out and what Max Domi can bring to the top power play unit.

What’s the key to getting through this stretch now with Auston Matthews (lower-body) and Anthony Stolarz (upper-body)?

“Yeah, you know, tough guys to lose, but, you know, if we’re going to be a good team, we’re going to be able to win games in these kind of situations. We’re facing some adversity, and that’s just going to build character.”

You guys don’t usually lose three in a row. What’s the mood? Like, how would you describe the vibe of the team going into this game tonight?

“I think we’re just excited, you know, to get back out there and compete again.”

What was your view of the Nikita Zadorov hit on Auston?

“I mean, I didn’t really see it. I mean, from the clip that I saw, I mean, it looked like it was a little bit. I mean, caught him as he was, like, turning. So, yeah, I mean, I haven’t really seen it, so it’s hard for me to say. but you don’t want your captain going down like that.”

John Tavares is off to a hot start. How do you assess his ability to kind of step up, fill the minutes there, and keep on clicking?

“He’s been an unbelievable player for such a long time, and, you know, I think he’s done this before in his career, So, you know, to get a little bit more step will be no problem for him.”

Pretty unique situation for Dennis Hiledby to be thrown into here. What have you made of the way he’s played so far?

“He’s been unbelievable. I thought he’s been doing a great job, I mean, coming in and thrown in right into the fire So, yeah, I like the way he’s been playing.”

What’s his personality like? Do you notice him more comfortable this time around with you guys?

“Yeah, I think for sure, you know, first time for, I guess, anybody that’s coming in is probably different compared to, you know, second time, third time, whatever it may be. Obviously, get more comfortable with the guys and, you know, just how everything is done.”

What do you think Max Domi can bring to your power play unit there?

“Obviously an amazing playmaker. Will find and thread the needle, so it’ll be a lot of fun to have him out there.”