Despite the Leafs many losses this season, the overall mood in the fanbase seems to be one of optimism. Optimism because we finally have a front office that isn't huffing glue. Optimism because we have a top 5 coach in the league. Optimism that we're rebuilding our prospect pool after years of neglect. And along with that last one, optimism for William Nylander.
On Saturday against Detroit, Nylander recorded the nicest assist of his young career, and I wanted to break it down further to show how his skillset can break down set defences, a notoriously hard thing to do in a league as structured and defensively sound as the NHL.