It’s been 11 years since the Toronto Maple Leafs selected William Nylander with the eighth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, the first major personnel decision accelerating what many expected to be a prosperous decade ahead. Nylander has proved to be a dynamic game-breaking talent and was the Maple Leafs’ best player during the 2025 playoffs, which culminated in a crushing second-round loss to the defending champion Florida Panthers.

We’re not going to revisit the 2015 class, as Mitch Marner is officially a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, but it’s certainly worth examining where Nylander stacks up among his peers, 11 years removed from the draft.

Nylander will continue to be a central pillar of the Maple Leafs alongside Auston Matthews and is a game-breaking offensive talent in the prime of his career. He finished second in the NHL with 45 goals, recording 84 points in 82 regular season games during the 2024-25 campaign, the third consecutive season where Nylander played in all 82 regular season games. The four players standing in Nylander’s way have been exceptional at every turn.

Aaron Ekblad was selected first overall by the Florida Panthers, and while you could make an argument that Nylander is a better player, the defending champions certainly don’t have any regrets, inking Ekblad to a six-year extension this summer. Sam Reinhart was selected second overall by the Buffalo Sabres, who hastily traded him to Florida four years ago. Reinhart has developed into one of the best all-around players in the league, providing Selke runner-up level defence, while establishing himself as one of the most clutch scores in the league. Leon Draisaitl was taken third overall and he’s been a dominant force since entering the league, winning the Hart Trophy and Rocket Richard Trophies in 2024-25, while steering the Edmonton Oilers to their second consecutive Final appearance.

And then of course, the one player who has returned more value from their draft position than Nylander is none other than Brayden Point, a constantly dominant force with the Tampa Bay Lightning, with two Stanley Cup rings to boot. Point has also been a more productive scorer than Nylander during their NHL tenures, and always elevates his game during the playoffs. Gustav Forsling has also developed into an all-world defenceman for the Panthers, so if you want to add him to the list, we won’t argue strongly.

That’s the short list: Nylander is a better player than reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett, although the Panthers could laugh and flash a few rings for fun. A handful of Panthers, the reigning MVP and Brayden Point are in the first tier, with Nylander in the second. That’s nothing to sneeze at!

Michael Dal Colle: 112 games played, eight goals, 21 points

Jake Virtanen: 317 games played, 55 goals, 100 points

Haydn Fleury: 307 games played, 10 goals, 44 points

Dal Colle was one of the first players in his age cohort to receive real scouting reports, but the teenage prodigy couldn’t produce meaningfully at the NHL level and did not meet expectations for the New York Islanders.

Virtanen was released by the Vancouver Canucks in July 2021. He was charged with one count of sexual assault in January 2022, and was found not guilty of the charge in July 2022.

Fleury built a steady NHL career as a third-pair option but hasn’t turned into the bonafide star that he was projected to become, and spent the past season with the Winnipeg Jets, where he remains under contract for the next two years.

Nylander has emerged as a bonafide franchise-level star for the Maple Leafs, and will be responsible for the next era of the team’s successes and failures alongside Auston Matthews. He’s a game-breaking talent and is perhaps the lone Leafs player exempt from criticism for the team’s capitulation against the Panthers this fall. While Draisaitl and a host of Panthers are contending for titles every year, while Point and Forsling have provided greater return on value relative to draft position, Nylander is a genuine star and the Leafs will celebrate this pick for the duration of his career.