Toronto prospect's dad full of praise for Maple Leafs' slow approach
The Maple Leafs have been protective of top prospect William Nylander this year. Instead of rushing Nylander up to help with the big club, Toronto let Nylander develop more slowly in the AHL. The approach might not be one an eager prospect hopes for, but Nylander's father said he is very pleased with the way Toronto managed his son's development.
"I think they’ve done a good job here ever since he came," the elder Nylander told the National Post. "I think it was a good decision."
The Nylander situation is a stark departure from the way other young Leafs such as Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner were treated. Kadri was called up repeatedly only to suffer blows to his confidence when he was sent back down frequently. Gardiner's agent was not a fan of the slow-but-steady approach, as he attempted to sway the Leafs by tweeting #FreeJakeGardiner.
As Nylander and his Toronto Marlies teammates see it, however, playing in the AHL was more competitive than playing for the Leafs this season.
"[The Leafs] were out of it pretty early,” AHL rookie scoring leader Connor Brown told the National Post. “We were playing meaningful hockey since February or January even."
(h/t National Post)
Photo by John E. Sokolowski - USA Today
