Has William Nylander's time in Toronto ended?

PUBLICATION

Joshua Deeds
August 22, 2023 (10:33 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

It's taken Brad Treliving a lot longer than expected to sign Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who were the last two UFAs to be addressed.

Their consistent production makes them two of the Maple Leafs' most important players.

As the team is cash-strapped, along with multiple additions during the off-season, it appears Nylander might refuse to take a team-friendly discount to win.

Jay Rosehill and Nick Algebra offered their opinion on the topic:

"My theory is that Matthews' contract is already finalized. It reminds me of Nathan McKinnon from last year; even though they didn't announce it on July 1, everyone knew he'd re-sign, especially after winning the Stanley Cup with Denver. The announcement came around training camp. Similarly, I believe Matthews will sign his extension when this year's training camp starts. Regarding Nylander, given his history and the known stance of his father, he's shown he's willing to negotiate until the last minute."

"In the meantime, as Rosie mentioned, there's not much to report on the Nylander front, and the same goes for Auston Matthews. When do you expect news on this? Perhaps in September? Honestly, I don't know. With these two guys, it boils down to the team's position. They have players they need to sign; some are overpaid, while others deserve more. There's a salary cap to consider. How will they make it work? I genuinely don't know what they're planning. I have a gut feeling we might lose Nylander, and sadly, he's one of the players I'd prefer to retain. The reason he deserves a higher salary is that many people want to keep him."

As a result of a move made during the summer, Matthews' contract may be close to being finalized, but Nylander may be on his way out.

Nylander deserves more cap allocation based on his play, but is it selfish for a team who wants to win?

As Seen On: hockeyfeed.com