Keefe Statement Hints Maple Leafs Can’t Afford to Keep Nylander

When asked about the performances of William Nylander so far this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, head coach Sheldon Keefe heaped heavy praise onto the forward who has been nothing short of a dynamic game-changer in two games this season. He noted, “His confidence is at an all-time high…. It’s gotten to a point now where he’s starting to really separate himself from a lot of others in the league.”

As nice as this is to hear and as good as it is for the Maple Leaf’s aspirations of winning and potentially competing for the Stanley Cup, it’s also problematic.

Sheldon Keefe on William Nylander: "His confidence is at an all-time high…. It's gotten to a point now where he's starting to really separate himself from a lot of others in the league."

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) October 16, 2023

Nylander is playing for a new contract and while it is being reported that both the player and the organization want to keep him on the team, his ask is higher than what the Maple Leafs are comfortable paying. If Nylander was going to stick to his guns and demand around $10 million per season, it was imperative he have a great season, making it nearly impossible for the Leafs not to meet his demands and leveraging potential interest from around the league with the threat of him becoming an unrestricted free agent.

If he keeps playing like this, not only will there be interest, there will be a ton of it.

For Nylander, if he “separates himself from a lot of others in the league” as Keefe says, that means he’s removing comparables in terms of contracts the Leafs can use to argue he’s only worth “x amount” of dollars. His unique blend of skills and finishing power will elevate Nylander above other pending free agents and there will be teams willing to give him the $10 million he seeks. In fact, they’ll be happy to as he continues to prove he’s one of the elite stars in the NHL.

Nylander Is Going to Keep Upping His Value

The more Nylander plays this way and the longer the Maple Leafs wait to finalize his deal, the more expensive his contract will get. That is not at all what the team needed heading into negotiations. Toronto will have some cap flexibility with deals for players like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, John Klingberg, TJ Brodie, and Ilya Samsonov all on expiring deals. That said, if the Leafs were looking to move away from the “core four” having to pay Nylander more to stay after an incredible season is going the other direction.

One of two things is likely to happen here. First, Nylander will price himself out of what the Leafs can and will pay. Second, his outstanding 2023-24 season will see him get offers from teams that want him to be their top star and Toronto will have no choice but to go another direction or stay stuck in the same place with all of their money tied up in the same four guys.

Next: 3 Key Takeaways from Maple Leafs’ 7-4 Win Over the Wild