'He Could Be Very Effective In That Way': Why William Nylander Has Recently Been Staying On For The Maple Leafs' Entire Power Play

Earlier in the season, William Nylander expressed a desire for more ice time, making it clear he wasn’t particular about how he'd get it.

Initially, there was talk of him getting additional penalty-kill responsibilities, though that hasn’t materialized. Instead, over the past two games, Nylander has stayed on the ice for the entirety of the club’s two-minute power plays.

Related: 'It Helps My Game A Lot': William Nylander Is Looking For More Ice Time Under Craig Berube's Maple Leafs

This approach is reminiscent of Alex Ovechkin, who often plays on both power-play units for the Washington Capitals. So why are the Maple Leafs adopting a similar strategy with Nylander?

“Well, I just think with (Auston) Matthews out, I thought that, you know, Willy’s the type of guy that he could be very effective in that way,” explained Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.

Related: Maple Leafs' Brad Treliving Explains Why Auston Matthews Flew To Germany To Get His Undisclosed Upper-Body Issue Checked Out

The Leafs are currently without Matthews, sidelined with an upper-body injury. Max Pacioretty (lower body) and Max Domi (lower body) are also unavailable for the team’s upcoming game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

It’s likely Nylander will reprise his expanded role on the power play for the third consecutive game. During practice, the second power-play unit featured Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Conor Timmins, Bobby McMann, Nikita Grebenkin, and Nick Robertson. Meanwhile, Nylander worked separately on PP1 with Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly. Timmins seemed like a placeholder since none of the other forwards on the second unit have significant faceoff experience.

Related: Why The Maple Leafs Placed Max Domi On Injured Reserve And Called Up Nikita Grebenkin Ahead Of Game Against Golden Knights

With several forwards missing from the lineup, Nylander has been relied upon heavily, and Berube appears comfortable giving No. 88 additional responsibilities. However, Toronto’s power play has cooled recently, going 1-for-10 over the last three games. It’s still an improvement from the early-season struggles, when the Leafs posted the NHL’s worst power play efficiency in the first month at 7.98 percent.

“I think we have – power play has actually been really good. We just haven’t been able to score,” Nylander remarked. “So I think that’s been good. But it’s nice to get that ice time and get that, you know, extra time out there.”