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William Nylander Makes Admission Amid Maple Leafs’ Skid

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Mar 10, 2026 1:26 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs have not missed the playoffs since they last did at the end of the 2015-16 season, the year in which winger William Nylander made his NHL debut, appearing in 22 games.

Through 64 games this season, Toronto sits at 27-26-11 and last in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs are also carrying a seven-game winless streak into Tuesday’s rivalry matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.

With 18 games remaining in Toronto's schedule, the Maple Leafs are nearly a lock to miss the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade, needing to bridge an 11-point gap with the Boston Bruins.

After Tuesday’s morning skate at the Bell Centre, Nylander did not attempt to sugarcoat the situation the Leafs are navigating these days.

Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander at Ball Arena.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

“It’s hard to really stay optimistic in this situation. Just trying to get a win tonight,” Nylander said. “It’s not going to help being frustrated. I think the mood in the locker room has changed a little bit. It’s made it a better environment.”

Nylander leads Toronto with 59 points in 47 games, scoring 21 goals and assisting on 38.

The winger skated Monday in a line featuring John Tavares and Matias Maccelli in just another swap of roles as the Leafs' coaching staff keeps trying to find some offensive production.

“Yeah, we’ve played together a lot. We play with good chemistry and are looking to create chances,” Nylander said about the aforementioned line. “I’m looking forward to it.”

William Nylander: It’s hard to really stay optimistic in this situation. Just trying to get a win tonight.

It’s not going to help being frustrated. I think the mood in the locker room has changed a little bit. It’s made it a better environment.
— Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) March 10, 2026

Head coach Craig Berube, meanwhile, acknowledged the challenge of keeping players motivated as the losses pile up.

“I definitely grab guys individually and talk to them. Just talking about how we need to work our way through it,” Berube said. “It’s got to be a team effort, but we need every individual to play at a high level.”

Toronto faces the Canadiens on the road on Tuesday, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

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

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