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Craig Berube Issues Challenge to Maple Leafs' William Nylander

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 9:05 AM ET

William Nylander is coming off a career-best season on the goal-scoring front, but Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube still has one more thing to ask the winger.

Speaking after Saturday's scrimmage, Berube made clear that Nylander's next step has little to do with scoring goals and more with leadership, according to Maple Leaf Hot Stove.

With Mitch Marner gone and Auston Matthews still working his way back to full form, Berube expects Nylander to shoulder more responsibility inside the locker room.

“He had a great year. We want him to have another great year, obviously, production-wise. We need him to score goals and we need him to do the things that he does with his skill,” Berube said.

Heading into a new season with the identity of this team in flux, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is hoping star winger William Nylander takes another step in his continued evolution. (@SachdevaSonny) https://t.co/MjDLb7VU2b
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 20, 2025

Added Berube: “For me, I think he can take a bigger step in a leadership role. He’s been a player for a long time on this team. He’s been around these guys. We lost a player, so in my opinion, Willy can step up and take a little bit of a bigger leadership role here.”

Nylander is coming off scoring 84 points in 82 regular-season games last year. He added 15 points in 13 postseason outings. It marked the first time in his 10-year career that the winger scored more than 40 goals.

The Swedish international has scored at least 80 points in four consecutive seasons, topping out at 98 just two years ago. He had back-to-back 40-goal seasons prior to netting 45 last year.

In the playoffs, where the stakes are at their highest and Toronto becomes highly scrutinized, Nylander has grown into one of the Maple Leafs' most reliable scorers.

Nylander only trails Matthews in postseason goals and is third (second, now that Marner is in Vegas) in playoff points among all Leafs over the past five years.

Berube still believes the veteran Leafs core — Nylander, Matthews and former captain John Tavares — now needs to set the tone daily for a roster reshaped by offseason turnover and many new faces arriving in Toronto.

“Step it up in the dressing room, on the bench. Just the voice, more than anything, for me,” Berube said about what he needs from Nylander this season. “Leading with playing the right way.

“Taking care of your teammates, helping them out in situations. Maybe they need a little kick in the ass. That’s all leadership for me. That’s what leadership’s about.”

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

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