Maple Leafs' Nylander and Robertson Poised for Big Seasons After 'Preseason Push' – Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are working their way through the preseason as they try to finalize their roster for the opening night of the 2024-25 season, and fans continue to look to the potential future of their team with hopes that are presenting themselves in a big way. While the preseason is often a chance to see how other rookies fare against big competition, it also gives veterans a chance to get their feet wet and touch small parts of their game before the regular season.

However, there was an incident in a recent preseason game that resulted in William Nylander going down with a minor injury after Nicholas Robertson pushed him with his stick to force him into a puck battle. As Nylander was not ready, he fell and collided with a Montreal Canadiens player. He seemed fine, and the injury wasn't something he needed to deal with long-term, but it still worried Maple Leafs fans. He said that this incident has never led to any problems in the room or between him and Robertson, but he expressed that he does not believe that pushing is necessary.

Related: Maple Leafs' Alex Nylander Rejects NHL Offers Before Signing AHL Deal With Marlies

Maple Leafs fans went through a major injury scare a few seasons ago when John Tavares had a freak accident and ended up passed out on the ice in one of the weirdest injury scenarios ever seen in the NHL. While he appeared to be trying to get up on his own after colliding with two players, he lost consciousness as medical staff tried to get him to his feet, confused commentators, former general manager Kyle Dubas, and fans as Tavares began to fall. retreating and his body seemed to be limping.

Tavares ended up being OK, but seeing Nylander go down and get hit in the head by another player in another freak accident had to remind some fans of the Tavares incident. Thankfully, both Nylander and Tavares ended up okay in each of their accidents.

Nylander and Robertson Expected to Have Big 2024-25 Campaigns

The trade rumors surrounding Robertson are now over after he was re-signed by the Maple Leafs to a new one-year contract, and many fans expect him to finally explode offensively if he stays healthy. The new deal he signed could be seen as a “prove it” deal as he has yet to earn a full-time spot at the NHL level, and has yet to complete an entire season without starting or being sent down. American Hockey League (AHL). Last season, he had 11 points in nine games in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, and 27 points in 56 games with the Maple Leafs.

Nylander had a strong 2023-24 campaign scoring 40 goals and adding 58 assists for 98 points in 82 games, and he will be relied upon to provide the same amount of production offensively, if not more. The Maple Leafs have gone out and bolstered their depth with Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to bolster their blue line, as well as the signing of Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Anthony Stolarz who should stabilize their depth between the pipes.

Either way, both Robertson and Nylander will have a lot of pressure on them to help lead the Maple Leafs to their first Stanley Cup since 1967. As their current core has one chance to win the championship before the management decides to make a tournament. big change, those two forwards will be key factors in their success this season. Hopefully, Robertson can stay healthy and flourish offensively, and Nylander can elevate his two-way game to a level we haven't seen from him yet.

As the 2024-25 season approaches, be sure to stay tuned Hockey Writers as your source for news from the NHL and the world of hockey.