William Nylander is already showing Jim Hiller something different at Leafs camp

William Nylander gave Jim Hiller a lot of confidence in him and showed him something that he never did under Craig Berube.

Nylander is expected to be a player who is going to be a focal point of the Maple Leafs lineup, and given that he has the the talent to hit the 50-goal mark - with all the changes, this could be the year.

But he's also gotten some criticism lately for his lack of hustle and giving up defensively at times, hoping to spark more offence which drew Craig Berube's ire several times. Nylander isn't a bad defender, though he could've shown more under Berube.

William Nylander's defensive game suddenly finds its spark

Though Nylander may have simply just not wanted to work under his former head coach because this preseason is showing us a completely different Nylander. head coach Jim Hiller spoke to the media after practice on Tuesday and credited the Swede for his hard work, noting his effort level defensively:

We ended the last practice on an incredible backcheck by Willy and a stick lift all the way down… We're seeing some really, really good stuff out of him.

This is more of the Nylander we were expecting to see over the past two seasons, and there's a good reason why he should be playing better defensively.

Nylander isn't exactly a small guy at 6-foot and over 200 pounds, and is a strong player overall. Knowing he can hustle back and use his power to disrupt opponents is great news going forward, and gives Maple Leafs fans and coaches hope that we can see a more well-rounded Nylander this season.

Toronto needs Nylander to take that next step

While you can't fault Nylander for his production over the past five years, this is the chance for him to take his talent to the next level. Beyond just a 50-goal season, Nylander has the potential to reach 100 points, and also offers a much better look offensively.

Nylander using his strength and speed to hustle back defensively, gain back possession, then turn around and rush back into the opponent's zone, it'll throw everyone into a tizzy. He's already got elite acceleration and once he gets some space, he becomes dangerous.

If Nylander can score at will but also show his teammates and coaches that he can still fight for pucks and be a contributor off the scoresheet, that could become more important later down the line - a postseason push can't afford any laziness.

Adding that to a lineup that is now much better prepared defensively will only strengthen the entire stricture of the Maple Leafs, and it might be the beginning of a brand new William Nylander - something that should scare the rest of the NHL.

Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Latest Dakota Joshua update suggests he's done in Toronto