The Leafs have two of the top 10 wingers in the league as William Nylander and Mitch Marner finished 8th and 10th respectively on the NHL Network’s top 20 Wingers Right Now.
The duo finished ahead of the likes of Zach Hyman and Brady Tkachuk while Sam Reinhart is the only player separating the two on this list. Finishing just behind guys such as Kirill Kaprizov and Artemi Panarin, it’s fair to say that the Leafs’ two representatives are ranked appropriately on this list.
Nylander is coming off a career season where he recorded his second consecutive 40-goal campaign. His 98 points were good enough for second on the Leafs in scoring behind only Auston Matthews, and Nylander was two points shy of making him and Matthews the first pair of players in franchise history with 100 points in the same season. He did miss some time in the playoffs with migraines but was still able to lead the Leafs in playoff goals with three in four games.
As for Marner, he has a strong season of his own offensively but was not quite himself after a mid-season injury. His 85 points in 69 games played were enough to finish third on the team in scoring and he would have been on pace for roughly 101 points if it weren’t for a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for a month. He was not quite fully recovered from the ailment which resulted in him struggling in the playoffs with only three points in seven games.
Nylander’s incredible campaign helped secure him an eight-year extension that will keep him in Toronto until 2032, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, Marner enters a contract year amidst a summer of rumours and speculation about his long-term future with the team. The noise surrounding him will not dissipate anytime soon until the Leafs make a decision on whether to keep him or move on, but until that time comes he will surely be motivated to bounce back.
All of which is to say that the pair of Leafs are ranked correctly by the NHL Network. While it would be nice to have playoff success, the city of Toronto can take some solace that two of the top 10 wingers in the league wear the Blue and White.
