I didn't want to jinx the first round, so I held off almost one year on posting this encounter with William Nylander. It was on May 20, 2022, in Toronto, just days after being eliminated in the first round of playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lighting. He was on his way to the airport to play for Sweden at the IIHF World Championship in Finland.
He expressed his sorrow for the series loss but seemed very encouraged about how the Leafs were developing and was confident going into the next season. We spoke about game 7 in the playoff round in 2021 against Montreal. It came down to Carey Price putting up a stone wall. After a brief discussion about our dogs, I wished him well at the World's and told him to stay off social media until the Leaf fans had more time to settle.
This season has been his best and he has contributed key points in the playoffs so far. I'm looking forward to following his career no matter who he plays for.
- Dean Sprung