Jacob Quillan got his first NHL point after 16 games and William Nylander made sure the whole building knew it
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
William Nylander made sure that rookie Jacob Quillan's first NHL point was a memorable one.
After netting his first career NHL point, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jacob Quillan would get something special in the puck fron that performance.
Assisting on a goal from Jake McCabe in the third period of a 5-1 loss against the St. Louis Blues, William Nylander went back to retrieve the puck to give to Quillan as a memory of his first point as an NHLer.
Quillan, who was recalled from the Leafs after Toronto dealt fellow centers Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton, has largely been playing in a fourth line role, and finally getting himself a nod on the scoresheet, even if in a lopsided endeavor.
The 24-year-old Quillan has appeared in 16 NHL games for Toronto this season, while in the AHL having 12 goals and 33 points in 38 games for the Marlies.
Quillan came into Sunday with 15 games and zero points and was running out of time to prove he belonged
The good news for Jacob Quillan is that he's the new Scott Laughton. The bad news is also that he's the new Scott Laughton.
Largely reduced to a fourth line checking role, Quillan hasn't been put in the best place to get his offense going. While Quillan has been defensively responsible, he hasn't gotten much in his current role.
As the season winds down, Quillan may be looked at on the third line to see what that does for his offense, a spot that Toronto would hope that Quillan can end up in eventually.
However, Toronto risks hindering Quillan's offensive chances the same way that Scott Laughton was given limited opportunity to produce with some proper playing time.
Nylander stopped the play to get that puck and nobody on the Leafs bench thought twice about it
Quillan's assist is a likely confidence booster for the Leafs youngster as he looks to prove that he belongs in the lineup next season, and that adding a forward isn't a need.
Having been a pro ready player since last season, Quillan has shown that he belongs in nearly every way except in the stats, but providing the type of reliability that keeps a player in a bottom-six role.
The goal for Quillan is to show that Toronto didn't need to keep Laughton as Quillan can do the same quality of play, while younger and at a cheaper cost.
A showing of pride from Nylander ensuring that Quilllan gets his first NHL point puck, quick thinking by the Leafs veteran who has been the team's bright spot this season.
Jacob Quillan will want to use his last few games as a final push to prove his lineup spot wasn't just a roster necessity, but one he earned off his talent level.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Seattle is already moving to extend Bobby McMann after the Maple Leafs failed to reach a deal at the deadline
Seattle is already moving to extend Bobby McMann after the Maple Leafs failed to reach a deal at the deadline
Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
MARS 29|982 ANSWERS Jacob Quillan got his first NHL point after 16 games and William Nylander made sure the whole building knew it Does Jacob Quillan belong on the Leafs lineup next season? | ||
| Yes | 723 | 73.6 % |
| No | 259 | 26.4 % |
| List of polls | ||