'He's World Class, In My Opinion': Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Believes William Nylander Can One Day Win The Rocket Richard Trophy

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube spoke on Wednesday in Seattle during the team's day off.

William Nylander got the Toronto Maple Leafs a day off after all.

Instead of getting on the ice on Wednesday, the Maple Leafs opted for a team stretch in Seattle. It allowed them to get some recovery after an emotional game against the Calgary Flames the night prior.

Scoring his second career hat-trick on Tuesday in a 6-3 win over the Calgary Flames moved him into the number two spot for the goal-scoring race, four behind Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl for first.

His 55 points — 33 goals and 22 assists — in 53 games places him in second for team scoring. Nylander has the most goals on the Maple Leafs by a fair margin, with John Tavares trailing him by 12 goals.

The 28-year-old has appeared in every game for Toronto, and given how close he is to Draisaitl in terms of goals, could he one day win the Rocket Richard Trophy?

"Yeah, no doubt," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said during a media availability on Wednesday in Seattle. 

"I mean, this guy gets chances every game, and good ones. I mean, he's world-class, in my opinion, with his shot, his speed, his agility. He does a lot of really good things. I mean, whether he wins it or not, I don't know. But, he's doing a lot of good things every night that gives him an opportunity to."

Nylander and Berube have mentioned that they communicate constantly about the forward's and the team's play. But what really goes on in those conversations, and has Nylander ever mentioned anything that's caught Berube's attention?

"I think those high-end players, skilled players, they see the game differently, and definitely differently than me. But they always float ideas around, and I like that," the head coach said. 

"I mean, I think they should come and tell me what they're thinking and why they did this or why they did that. I want to know. And I may not agree with it all the time, but they definitely think the game differently."

Although it's been a lengthy trip, the Maple Leafs have outscored their opponents 10-6 in the two games. Toronto is halfway to closing out the road trip — against Seattle on Thursday and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday — before returning home for the 4 Nations break.

Nylander, though, will be off to represent Team Sweden at the international tournament, which begins on Feb. 12.