William Nylander’s evolution from secondary star to franchise cornerstone has sparked a real debate in Toronto about his place at the top of the Leafs identity.
When people talk about the “face of the franchise," they’re usually talking about more than just who scores the most goals. They mean the player whose identity defines the team, the one fans associate with the logo before anyone else.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, that title has belonged to Auston Matthews for most of the last decade.