William Nylander is exceptional, and it has nothing to do with the fact he’s pricing himself out of a Maple Leaf uniform in his contract year.

Ahead of their game against the Ottawa Senators, a Leaf fan snapped this pic of Nylander riding the subway to Scotiabank Arena, sitting next to a clueless Nerp in a Leaf toque.

Does the guy wearing the Leafs hat know who he is sitting beside on Toronto’s subway? #Nylander #WillieStyles @TTCNewsroom pic.twitter.com/4nlPmohOVE

— Simon Dingley@CBC (@SimonDingleyTV) November 9, 2023

Matthews was asked about Nylander’s subway trip, and he insinuated Nylander is pretty laid back about being on time for games and needed to take the subway from Yorkville to Union Station.

That tracks.

Nylander has the resting heart rate of a blue whale, and he’s been this chill enigma for seven years that no Leaf fan or reporter can flap or figure out. He is the definition of “Ice” and doesn’t appear to have an ego in a year where he’s making Brad Treliving and Leaf management his BIATCH.

He’s second on the team with points in 13 straight and can become the second player in NHL history tomorrow night to record at least a point in his first 14.

#LeafsForever William Nylander recorded 2 points (1 G, 1 A), extending his season-opening point streak to 13 games (7 G, 11 A). pic.twitter.com/rECWehXwde

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 9, 2023

I saw him walking his two dogs in Yorkville last week. He had a big “I’m in town with my wife, taking the dogs for a walk while she showers” vibe. He smiled and walked past me after his brown dog peed on a tree in front of Balenciaga. His dogs weren’t on leashes either. They stayed withing 2 feet of him at all times. I think the dogs know what we know: Willy’s going to get PAID, and they’re moving to a warmer climate next year.

DB