William Nylander has a lot to prove after being named a Top-10 winger in the NHL

NHL Network named William Nylander the 10th best winger in the NHL, which raises expectations for the Maple Leafs for him to step into a bigger role in 2026-27.

If Toronto wants to be successful this season, it will depend on how William Nylander performs. Despite missing time he still put up 79 points in 65 games and though his 30 goals are a dip from his usual production, he was still on pace for 38 goals last year.

He still remains an elite threat though and is going to get ample time in the top-six and be looked at as one of the premier offensive options for Jim Hiller's lineup. NHL Network certainly believes he's a threat still as he ranked #10 on their Top-20 wingers list ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Nylander's #10 ranking reflects Nylander's consistency and milestones with Toronto

Nylander was given the honour ahead of some pretty impressive names such as Tampa's Jake Guentzel (#16), Florida's Sam Reinhart (#14) and Brady Tkachuk (#18), and Los Angeles' Artemi Panarin (#12).

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The rationale for rating Nylander in the Top-10 have a lot to do with his accomplishments as he remains eight goals from becoming the sixth Maple Leaf with 300 goals, nine points from being the eighth with 700 points and one assist from 400 assists - being the ninth in franchise history to do so.

They also talked about his record-breaking 15th OT goal which passed Auston Matthews and Mats Sundin for most in team history, then added a 16th so pad the record a bit more. It's all about how Nylander has carved out a legacy in Toronto and why he ranks so high.

That combination of consistent goal-scoring threat and legacy already within a storied franchise leads Nylander to hit the Top-10 and why the NHL Network believes he's one of the top wingers in the world.

Nylander's next step is carrying more responsibility under Jim Hiller

For as many records as he may find himself holding, Nylander still needs to push himself into an extra gear for this season and that means doing more than just scoring.

A lot of critique around Nylander has centred around his motivation - or lack thereof. His tension with Craig Berube was predicated on the fact that Berube felt Nylander didn't give 100% at times which he felt was unacceptable for an $11.5M per year player.

Though he later admitted their relationship was an overall good one, Berube did have his issues with Nylander's attitude nonetheless.

He can't show the same attitude with Jim Hiller because it's only going to cause more tension in a season that needs anything but that. He's going to need to be more active off the puck, win more battles, and respond positively to any coaching - while still maintaining his level of production.

Toronto is in win-now mode and need everyone to contribute at all ends of the ice, so if Nylander is slacking or feels like others have things under control then it may come back to haunt him.

We can enjoy the highlight reel goals and breakaway chances from Nylander like we do every year, but if it comes at the cost of giving up goals or defensive lapses due to a lack of motivation or feelings of apathy, it's a bad look for both Nylander and his attitude - which has already been called into question numerous times.

There's no doubt Nylander earned a Top-10 spot due to his offensive ability and game-breaking talent but he needs to maintain that while also being a better leader and consistent offensive driver under Hiller. His individual accolades are well-known, now it's time to see if he can have a greater team impact.

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