The Leafs fired Marc Savard to fix a broken power play, turned to Steve Sullivan, saw quick results, then lost William Nylander as a familiar story unfolded.
On December 26, 2025, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a midseason coaching change that immediately grabbed attention in hockey circles: assistant coach Marc Savard was fired and Steve Sullivan was promoted to the Leafs’ coaching staff with a clear mandate—help fix a power play that had been among the NHL’s worst.
Sullivan’s hiring was practical on its face. He was already in the organization, coaching the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, and had deep experience as a player and coach.
But among fans, another interpretation quickly took shape:
Sullivan’s historical connection to the Nylander family, particularly William Nylander’s father, Michael, meant this wasn’t just a technical hire, it was personal.
Why Sullivan Was Hired
For much of the 2025-26 season, the Leafs’ power play was a glaring weakness. Under Marc Savard’s supervision, the Leafs posted a league-worst power play conversion rate—roughly 13.3%, scoring on only two of 27 chances in December before his dismissal.
The Leafs’ offensive talent was undeniable—Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies feature among the team’s top scorers—but they were underperforming with the extra man.
In the analytics era, a weak power play can doom a team’s run even when 5-on-5 numbers are respectable, and the Leafs struggled to find consistent structure and threat.
The decision to move on from Savard was about wrestling control of that unit back from stagnation.
Enter Steve Sullivan. The Leafs brought him up from the Marlies on December 26, replacing Savard and signaling a shift in special-teams philosophy. Sullivan isn’t a certified power-play coordinator in the traditional sense, but his long NHL career—747 points in 1,011 games—and experience with players of elite offensive talent made him a compelling internal option.
Within Sullivan’s first two games with the Leafs, the power play suddenly looked productive. In the December 27 game against the Ottawa Senators, Toronto scored twice on the power play—a stark contrast to its recent drought — finding the net twice in the first period and finishing the night 2-for-3.
That boost was more than a statistic; it was a mood change. For a team that had watched even high-skill skaters flail without the man advantage, suddenly seeing crisp movement, quick decisions, and real finishing on 5-on-4 was meaningful.
The Nylander Connection
Alongside the tactical story was a more personal undercurrent: the relationship between Steve Sullivan and the Nylander family.
Sullivan and Michael Nylander were linemates in Chicago during Sullivan’s NHL playing days, a stint that revitalized Sullivan’s career after being waived by Toronto earlier in his playing life.
That pairing produced chemistry on the ice and, by many accounts from those who watched it at the time, a genuine personal connection.
That history creates fertile ground for speculation. Fans have interpreted Sullivan’s hiring as not just a hockey decision, but one influenced by personal trust and connection—bringing in someone William Nylander is comfortable with.
The Leafs did not cite any familial or personal rationale in announcing Sullivan’s hiring, and no credible reporting attributes the move directly to Nylander’s influence. The official narrative is strictly performance-driven: get the power play right.
But in the locker room economy of trust and rapport—especially around offensive systems—who a coach clicks with matters.
Bad Timing of Nylander’s Injury
If the Leafs hoped the hiring would immediately calm the ship, fate had other plans.
On December 27, Sullivan’s first game on the Leafs bench saw the team win a high-scoring contest against the Ottawa Senators 7-5.
Yet the victory came at a cost: William Nylander suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and did not return. He had scored on an early power play that night, providing the Leafs with an immediate spark before departing the game.
News reports in the hours after indicated Nylander’s status was uncertain heading into the next game, and by the morning of December 28, he was officially not in the lineup for the Leafs’ road game in Detroit.
For a team already trying to recalibrate its offensive mojo, losing its most dynamic scorer in the first game under a new coach—especially one with ties to him—was staggering.
The Detroit Loss: A Brutal Follow-Up
In Detroit on December 28, the Maple Leafs fell in overtime, 3-2, to the Red Wings. It was a tightly contested game: Matthew Knies opened the scoring on a power play early in the second period, giving the Leafs a brief lead before Detroit responded.
Nicholas Robertson had given Toronto a second-period advantage as well, but Detroit tied it late and sealed the win in overtime.
The Leafs were shorthanded without Nylander’s puck skill and creation, and their power play—while productive the previous night—didn’t convert again in Detroit.
The loss underscored a dual narrative: even with a power-play boost on Saturday, without one of their top offensive catalysts, the Leafs struggled to close out a game they could have stolen on the road.
In the end, the Leafs’ loss to Detroit reinforced an uncomfortable reality. Special teams can provide a spark, but they cannot supply an identity. Until the Leafs find one at five-on-five, no change behind the bench is going to create it for them.