Toronto prospect William Nylander eyes WJC as way to make Maple Leafs roster

By foxsports
Published

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect William Nylander, the eighth overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, is tearing up the AHL as a member of the Toronto Marlies. Nylander leads the league in scoring by a six-point margin thanks to his 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 27 games. So as Nylander heads to join Team Sweden for this winter's World Junior Championships, a star performance in the tournament could lead to a spot for Nylander on Toronto's roster for the second half of the season. 

But as Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe noted, Nylander will need to do more than simply put points on the board at the tournament. 

Via Toronto Sun:

Nylander will have some family support at the tournament, as his younger brother Alex, a prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft, will also play for Team Sweden. After a strong performance at World Juniors last year precipitated Nylander's move from European hockey to North American hockey, perhaps this year's tournament will also mark a turning point in Nylander's professional development this season. 

"The message from us to (Nylander) and Kapanen is to set the tone,” Keefe told reporters. “Not just be the go-to player offensively, but be that go-to guy in the areas that it takes to be an NHL player and to be part of a championship team. (Nylander) has the ability to do that."