Craig Berube's Joke About William Nylander's Work Ethic is Equal Parts Funny and Concerning

William Nylander had an offensive explosion on Tuesday night in Calgary as the forward was able to score a hat trick in the city he was born.

Subsequently, Craig Berube promised the Maple Leafs a day off from practice which was inspired by Willy's performance.

Berube made some eye-opening comments about Nylander amidst this decision and while these comments were made as a joke, one has to wonder if this team has learned anything over the past few years.

While this will probably get a chuckle out of some fans, there is always truth behind every joke. Otherwise, why say it at all?

There have been a couple of instances this season where fans were frustrated with Nylander and his work ethic, or lack thereof.

When he isn't scoring goals, he can sometimes appear disengaged on the ice. Moreover, amidst a few losing streaks this season, Nylander's mentality has just been "who cares?"

Sure, everyone needs a day off every once in a while, but for a team that hasn't accomplished anything yet, this doesn't necessarily bode well.

Having said that, the Leafs are currently on a two-game winning streak and they will look to extend that streak to three games as they take on the Seattle Kraken.

The team only has a couple of games until the 4 Nations Face-Off, where William Nylander will get to play for Team Sweden.