Toronto Maple Leafs
Treliving Gives Confident Update on Nylander Negotiations
Brad Treliving was asked about where things sit with William Nylander. The GM was confident, but tried to remain cautious.
In an exclusive interview on TSN’s First Up program this morning, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving provided insight into the ongoing contract negotiations with star player William Nylander. Just ahead of the team’s highly anticipated season opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night, the Nylander saga still lurks in the background.
When asked about the progress in negotiations with Nylander, who is poised to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, Treliving remained candid yet cautious. “Well, we haven’t signed a contract yet, so that’s probably my update right now,” Treliving responded.
When asked what “yet” meant, Treliving chose not to go too in-depth on his choice of wording.
Pressed further by the interviewer, Treliving stuck with what he’s said in the past: “Nylander’s a terrific player. He’s a star player, and we want to extend Willie.” He did, however, reveal that the team has had multiple discussions with Nylander’s agent and Nylander himself holds a genuine affection for Toronto and the Maple Leafs franchise.
Treliving Only Saying So Much Until There’s Something To Tell
Treliving made it clear that public updates on the negotiation progress would be limited. “Our focus is going to be on the ice. We’ll continue to work in the background on the business side, but obviously, Willie’s attention is going to be on getting started tomorrow and having a terrific year,” he stated. The GM wants the focus to be on his performance, especially considering how well Nylander plays could heavily factor into his future.
Treliving expressed optimism about the future, stating, “Once we have good news, we’ll be sure to let everybody know. But we’re not going to do a daily update on it, and hopefully, we can get to a point where we’ve got good news. He’s a terrific player, and we’re hopeful he will be with us for a long time.”
Darren Dreger suggests the recent deals signed in Winnipeg with Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Sheifele could prove that a lot of the conversations that happen behind the scenes don’t surface to the public. There could be a lot going on that people don’t know about.
Next: Noah Gregor Signs a One-Year Deal with Maple Leafs
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