Kevin Bieksa weighs in on the relationship between Craig Berube and William Nylander amidst more ice time request

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Nov 03, 2024 18:51 GMT

On Saturday, former NHLer Kevin Bieksa shared his views on the relationship between William Nylander and first-year Maple Leafs' coach Craig Berube. Nylander has been playing fewer minutes this season compared to last year, and he wants more time on the ice.

Kevin Bieksa thinks this open conversation between Nylander and Berube is a positive sign. According to Bieksa, it shows a healthy relationship, with both coach and player sharing their perspectives. Bieksa said via Sportsnet,

“It’s healthy; all of this is positive and good.”

Last season, Nylander played an average of 19:55 minutes per game, reaching a career-high 98 points. This season Nylander has scored two goals against three different teams in a span of nine games. But he hasn’t returned to his previous ice time, despite Leading the team with 8 goals.

William Nylander has openly talked about wanting his minutes back to last season’s level. He believes that more ice time would improve his game. In a recent interview, Nylander said:

"That is a little bit what I've been trying to talk to (Berube) about. Get that ice time back to where it was before, I think it helps my game a lot, to do what I want to be able to do out there," Nylander said, per Sportsnet.

Coach Berube has responded to Nylander’s request, explaining his approach. He said he tries to play Nylander in key situations but also wants a balanced team.

“I don’t focus on ice time so much,” Berube explained earlier per Sportsnet. “I get Willy out there quite a bit...At the same time, I’ve said this all along, we want to be a good team. Everybody needs to be involved.”

For now, the Leafs are working through this new dynamic. William Nylander wants to be on the ice more, and Berube wants a balanced team.

William Nylander remained scoreless in a loss to the St. Louis Blues

In Toronto’s 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues, William Nylander didn’t score and finished with a minus-three rating. This came two games after Toronto’s strong win against the 10-1 Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 28.

Mitch Marner opened the scoring, putting Toronto up 1-0 at 5:25 in the first period. He found a loose puck off Conor Timmins’ shot and scored. Toronto looked strong early, outshooting St. Louis 12-4 in the first.

In the second period, Colton Parayko scored twice for St. Louis. His first goal at 3:29 tied the game, with Oskar Sundqvist providing a screen. Jordan Kyrou then made it 2-1 at 8:08 with a pass that deflected off Jake McCabe’s skate. Parayko extended the lead to 3-1 at 12:33 with a one-timer.

Steven Lorentz cut it to 3-2 in the third, scoring off a rebound. Pavel Buchnevich scored an empty-net goal, ending the game 4-2.