‘Just a s—– game’: Maple Leafs’ William Nylander reacts to Game 7 loss
One of the “Core Four” is very blunt about how the season ended.
During the Toronto Maple Leafs’ locker-clean-out day on Tuesday, forward William Nylander was asked about the team falling to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Atlantic Division Final.
The Swedish forward didn’t mince his words.
“Just a s—– game,” Nylander said. “That’s about it.”
William Nylander, on Game 7: "Just a shitty game. That's about it."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 20, 2025For Nylander and this core of Maple Leafs, Sunday night’s embarrassing 6-1 defeat marked another disappointing end to their season. While the team has made it to the postseason every year since 2017, the team has won just two playoff series, including in the first round this year against the Ottawa Senators.
Many suspect this exit could spell the end of the group that has featured Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, with some believing a couple of those names might be moving on this offseason. Nylander stated that he wants pending unrestricted free agents Marner and Tavares to re-sign, citing that taking the defending Stanley Cup champions to a seventh game is progress.
Nylander also admitted that playing in Toronto has been something he’s enjoyed for a decade.
“It’s a dream. I think every kid wishes that they can play for such an organization like this. … Everybody here has just made it a home for me and that’s why I love being here every day.”
This was the 12th consecutive trip to the postseason where the Leafs failed to make it past the second round dating back to 2003.
Nylander led the Leafs in scoring during the playoffs, scoring six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 13 games. He and Marner were the only two players on the roster to average a point per game.
With the Leafs eliminated, Nylander was asked about his plans after the season. He mentioned that he’s pondering heading to Stockholm to join Team Sweden for the final stretch of the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship. Sweden is set to face Canada on Tuesday in the final game of the group stage, with the quarterfinals beginning on Thursday.