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Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander celebrates with teammates after scoring (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Nylander, Woll, Villeneuve & Bottom 5

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Apr 12, 2026 12:35 PM ET

Saturday night was one of those games you’ve kind of come to expect lately if you’re following the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not a disaster right out of the gate—but not far off either. A 6–2 loss to the Florida Panthers felt all too familiar.

They were behind almost as soon as people found their seats. Florida scored 23 seconds in, added another soon after, and the Maple Leafs were chasing again. To their credit, they pushed back. William Nylander scored twice and made it interesting for a stretch. But just when you thought maybe they’d claw their way back, the game slipped again.

That’s the pattern right now—little bursts of life, but not enough structure to hold it together.

Item One: William Nylander Is Still Carrying His Share

If you’re looking for one constant in all this, it’s William Nylander. Even in a messy season, he keeps showing up. Two goals again Saturday, and not cheap ones either—he had to work for them. When the Maple Leafs get stuck, he’s still one of the few guys who can actually create something out of nothing. That matters more than ever on a team that’s struggling to generate consistent offence.

The numbers back it up. He’s sitting on 28 goals and 75 points through 63 games, and he’s been a driver on the power play all season. The plus/minus number isn’t pretty, but that’s a team statistic as much as anything right now. Watch him play—you’ll see the effort is there.

This is where it gets interesting. There’s always noise when a season goes sideways about who stays and who goes. There’s a vocal group of Maple Leafs fans who want him gone. But Nylander doesn’t look like a problem to solve. He looks like part of the solution. You don’t move players like that unless you’re absolutely sure, and right now, he and John Tavares are two of the few things actually working.

Item Two: Joseph Woll Is Paying the Price for Loose Hockey

It’s been a rough stretch for Joseph Woll, and the stat line tells you that much. Nineteen goals against in four starts isn’t going to win you many games. But if you’re still watching the games, you know it’s not that simple.

Washington Capitals left wing Ilya Protas battles in front of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)

The Maple Leafs have been all over the place defensively. Odd-man rushes, missed assignments, and rebounds sitting there like invitations to parties. There’s only so much a goalie can do when things break down that often. Woll hasn’t been perfect, and you’d like a big save here and there to stop the bleeding. But the bigger issue is what’s happening in front of him.

Confidence has to be a fragile thing for a goalie, and this kind of stretch must wear on him. Right now, he’s being asked to do too much without enough help. The fix isn’t complicated—they need to tighten things up defensively—but getting there hasn’t been easy all season.

I believe there’s still a good goalie in there. He just needs a bit of structure in front of him to show it again.

Item Three: William Villeneuve Finally Gets a Look

One of the few bright spots? William Villeneuve stepped into the lineup for his NHL debut. He didn’t look out of place at all. In total, he played just under 19 minutes, was steady with the puck, and showed no panic in his game. He looked like a guy who could handle himself at this level.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman William Villeneuve (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)

In a game that didn’t mean much in the standings, that’s exactly what you want to see—someone taking an opportunity and making you notice. Which brings up the obvious question: why did it take this long?

These are the games where you figure out what you’ve got. Villeneuve showed enough to at least make you curious. He probably won’t be the last name people start asking about. When the season drifts like this, the focus should shift to evaluation. It just hasn’t happened as much as you’d think.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

Now it gets a little strange—and honestly, a little uncomfortable. The Maple Leafs are sitting right in that mushy middle where every result matters, just not in the usual way. This isn’t about chasing a playoff spot anymore. It’s about where they land and whether they hang onto that draft pick.

The bottom of the standings is tight enough that a single win or loss can shuffle everything around. Here’s how things look right now, from worst to “not quite as bad,” with games left to play:

Vancouver Canucks — 54 points — 79 GP — 3 games left
Chicago Blackhawks — 70 points — 80 GP — 2 games left
Calgary Flames — 73 points — 79 GP — 3 games left
N.Y. Rangers — 75 points — 80 GP — 2 games left
Toronto Maple Leafs — 78 points — 80 GP — 2 games left
Seattle Kraken — 79 points — 79 GP — 3 games left
St. Louis Blues — 80 points — 79 GP — 3 games left
Florida Panthers — 80 points — 80 GP — 2 games left

That’s a crowded neighbourhood. The Maple Leafs are right on the edge of that bottom-five cutoff. A couple of wins, and they could climb out of it. A couple of losses, and they will keep that pick. It’s not exactly the kind of scoreboard-watching anyone imagined back in October.

So what’s next? That depends on what the organization thinks this team actually is. If this is a quick reset, then they need to figure out who stays and who goes—and fast. If it’s something bigger, then these last games should have been about learning what they’ve got in the system. This drifting in the middle ground is how you end up right back here again next season, having the same conversation all over.