William Nylander Wants To Stay In Toronto
Literally right before Auston Matthews signed his contract extension with the Maple Leafs, William Nylander was asked about his future by the media. Despite all the rumors of breaking up the core four, Nylander made it clear that he wants to stay in Toronto.
“I want to be in Toronto as long as I can,” Nylander said at NHL European Player Media Tour on Wednesday, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. “That’s just where my mind is at.”
That part wasn’t surprising. What’s he supposed to say? It was the next comment that was probably more fascinating.
Nylander doesn’t really seem like he’s in a rush to get his next contract worked out. He’s not sure why anybody is making a thing out of it. The Leafs forward seems pretty content playing out the year.
“Obviously, I want it to work where I can stay there and be there,” Nylander said. “There’s no other place I want to play, but I still have one more year left. I don’t understand why there’s such a big rush to do something right now. I still have one more year left.”
Nylander also adds that the team and has agent have talked but no contract extension appears imminent.
“They had been talking, but I don’t think there’s been much going on about that,” Nylander said. “But I’m just focused on getting ready for the season and having my best season yet in order to help us take the next step, too.”
A few additional things I just want to add:
A: The Leafs are still over the cap. The last time I checked, you have to be under the cap before the season starts and the season is rapidly approaching. I wouldn’t discount the possibility of a trade here. I wouldn’t trade Nylander, for what it’s worth.
B: Nylander is on one of the best bargain contracts in the league. The longer you wait, the more expensive he’s going to become. That’s just the way these deals work. He’s worth way more than the $6.96 million AAV he’s going to play under this year.
C: Evolving-Hockey projects that Nylander would command an extension that carries a $9.06 million AAV. If that’s the case, this extension should have been signed already. With the cap spiking, he’s worth every penny of that.
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