While it's usually Auston Matthews soaking up headlines for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's been a bit of a different story during the 2022-23 NHL season. Through the first 38 games of the season, it's William Nylander who leads the Leafs in scoring this season. Nylander's dominant season drew a brutally honest take from fellow Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, who revealed that the 26-year-old's scoring exploits are no big surprise, via David Alter of SI.com.

“I don't think we're surprised at all,” Marner said of Nylander. “It's been great to see him explode.”

Nylander teased his breakout 2022-23 season last year when he registered a career-high 80 points in 81 games. He had 34 goals and 46 assists during what was the best season of his career in 2021-22. Through 38 games this year, Nylander has 45 points, including 22 goals and 23 assists.

Nylander (45) sits one point ahead of Matthews (44), and also leads the Maple Leafs in goals scored, holding a three-goal lead over his line-mate. Of course, Matthews won the Rocket Richard Trophy last year after pacing the NHL with 60 goals, so to see his own teammate outscoring him this year speaks to the impressive season Nylander is enjoying.

Marner isn't surprised by William Nylander's scoring explosion in 2022-23, and the Maple Leafs will be hoping the 26-year-old can carry on his torrid pace throughout the season. With 45 points in 38 games, Nylander is on pace for a 97-point campaign across 82 games, which would shatter the career mark he set last year.

The former first-round pick (8th overall in 2014) has been a key cog for the Maple Leafs since debuting back in 2015-16 but has truly taken the next steps in his development over the past couple of years.