William Nylander shares his thoughts on Timothy Liljegren's trade to Sharks

On Thursday, William Nylander spoke about his close friend and former teammate Timothy Liljegren, who was traded to the San Jose Sharks. The Maple Leafs traded the defenseman to the Sharks on Wednesday in exchange for defenseman Matt Benning, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.

(0:05) "Obviously, I called him. We've been friends for a long time and been here for a while, but that's the business," Nylander told the media. "But he'll get a great opportunity there, and it'll be really good for his career. So I'm happy for him."

Nylander praised Liljegren’s skills, calling him a solid offensive player.

"He's a tremendous offensive player. He plays well without the puck as well," Nylander said. "He's gonna get a great opportunity there. So just have to see what he's able to do. I believe that he can do a great job there.

"It’s sad, but that's business, and I'm gonna miss him a lot, but that's the way it goes. It'll be great for him there to get ice time and play. That's what everybody wants in the end, right?"

Nylander scored once and assisted twice against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. He has 10 points in 10 games this season, helped by a successful line with John Tavares and Max Pacioretty.

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William Nylander, Tavares and Pacioretty saved the day

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-4, ending the Jets' eight-game winning streak. John Tavares scored a hat trick, while William Nylander had a goal and two assists. Max Pacioretty added three assists, helping the Leafs break their three-game losing streak.

“I just liked our pace with our feet, with the puck, without the puck, and the way we moved the puck as well,” Tavares said.

Toronto started strong with early goals from Tavares and Nylander. Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly extended the lead to 4-0 in the second period. Winnipeg responded with two goals from Kyle Connor, narrowing the lead to 4-2. Tavares added another goal, and though the Jets fought back to make it 5-4, Tavares completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal.

With this win, the Leafs got back on track, led by solid performances from Nylander, Tavares and Pacioretty.