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William Nylander Finds Positives on Maple Leafs’ Playoff Loss to Panthers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 8:30 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs once again saw their playoff hopes dashed in the second round, this time in a seven-game series against the eventual—and now back-to-back—Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.

While the loss extended an awful run for the franchise in which they have just won two postseason series in the "Core Four" era, star forward William Nylander has a positive view of the Leafs' latest failure.

“It was probably one of our best seasons since I’ve been in Toronto,” Nylander said during the NHL/NHLPA European player media tour. “I mean, we pushed Florida to the limit. We had a couple of [bad] games against them, Games 5 and 7, but for the most part, we were right there in that series.

"So I think we can really build off that and learn from what we did wrong to be better in those situations."

️ William Nylander says there were positives to take from the Leafs’ playoff run last season, despite falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Second Round:

“It was probably one of our best seasons since I’ve been… pic.twitter.com/buvl5IW382
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) August 22, 2025

Toronto’s Disappointing Series Against Florida

The Maple Leafs forced a decisive Game 7 after being blown out in Game 5, which preceded a shutout victory in Game 6. Still, history repeated itself when Toronto failed to advance, as the Panthers eliminated them for the second straight postseason.

Nylander, who has grown into one of the team’s most consistent performers along with team captain Auston Matthews and now-former Leafs winger Mitch Marner.

The Swedish international, who scored 15 points in the playoffs after notching 84 in 82 regular-season games, emphasized the value of pushing a Cup-winning opponent to the brink while making clear he intends to take another step forward individually in the upcoming season.

“I’m looking forward to dominate,” Nylander said. "Always."

Moving Forward Without Mitch Marner

The Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first or second round in every season of the "Core Four" era, albeit that's now an ended chapter in franchise history following Marner's departure.

With Marner gone, the pressure will shift even more onto Nylander, Matthews, and former captain John Tavares, who will still be asked to deliver Toronto its long-chased 14th Stanley Cup.

Nylander acknowledged that the transition to a Marner-less Leafs will be tough, but also said Toronto must regroup quickly.

“It’s tough seeing him go, but I’m so happy for him and his family. He got to pick where he went, so, in that aspect, I’m happy for him," Nylander said. "We’re going to miss him a lot, but that’s just the business of the sport. That’s the way it is. So we’ve got to regroup as a team and figure out a way to keep winning games.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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