Babcock: Nylander is 'way better than I expected'
Auston Matthews isn't the only rookie who's knocked the socks off Mike Babcock early on.
The Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss joined Prime Time Sports on Wednesday afternoon, heaping praise on forward William Nylander, insisting the 20-year-old is "way better than I expected," according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.
Of course, it's pretty clear why Babcock is so jubilant about the club's 2014 first-round pick, early on, Nylander is just a point shy of linemate Matthews who paces the NHL with 10.
His three power-play goals and five power-play points place him second and first in the league respectively, while his 59.39 Corsi-For number also bests all fellow Maple Leafs.
Nylander is riding a four-game point streak and is just two goals and four points away from matching his output from last season, that came over a 22-game span.
The kid is doing alright.