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Maple Leafs’ William Nylander willing to stick around for a retool, not a rebuild
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Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Michael Mazzei
Apr 2, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 2, 2026, 09:50 EDT
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander made it clear that he is not interested in being around for a rebuild and instead will be willing to sit through a retool.
“Unless it was a full rebuild and we were going to get rid of everybody, then it’s a different story. Then you take that conversation then,” Nylander said to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel after Wednesday’s practice.  “But just to do a retool or whatever, I don’t even know, but I mean, I still want to be here, yeah.”
Nylander mentioned that he had a good conversation with former Leafs GM Brad Treliving prior to the trade deadline about the direction of the team, and his feelings remain unchanged even with the GM now gone less than two weeks before the end of the regular season. Although he has yet to speak with MLSE CEO Keith Pelley since Treliving’s dismissal, one can imagine the two sides will remain on the same page even without knowing who the successor will be.
Of course, one aspect of all of this is that captain Auston Matthews will likely force the hand of whatever plan the new GM/president has in store for the team. Nylander was coy when asked about whether Matthews’ decision would have any impact on his own desires.
“I mean, I haven’t really thought about it, like that far. Once they just told me (rebuilding is) not what they want to do — like, try to keep winning here or try to start winning (Stanley Cups),” he said. “If that point in time comes, then I’ll think about that then.”
While Nylander says he isn’t too worried about the Leafs’ future, he did admit that this season has been ‘super frustrating and rattling.’ It is understandable why when the first nine seasons of his professional career resulted in his team being in the playoffs and this is the first time he has experienced a year such as this.
The fact that he is unwilling to leave at the first sign of trouble is no doubt encouraging, though his tune will definitely change if it becomes a rebuild. In fact, Nylander believes that the Leafs can pull off a turnaround similar to what the Boston Bruins did who recovered quickly after falling out of the playoffs last year.
All signs at this time point to the Leafs focusing on retooling, with Pelley considering Nylander to be one of the foundational pieces alongside Matthews, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies.
“Talking about a retool or rebuild, the way I look at a rebuild is you’re starting from scratch,” Pelley said on Tuesday. “We all know that the Maple Leafs have foundational pieces in place, so as a result, with those pieces, if we’re able to surround them with the right culture, structure and personnel both on and off the ice, then I would say we would be in a retool and not a rebuild. Having said that, I will always wait for input from the new Head of Hockey Operations.”

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