Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving is actively working to secure contract extensions for key players as the 2023-24 NHL season approaches. After successfully extending Auston Matthews, Treliving has now shifted his focus to securing a long-term deal with William Nylander. The goal is to reach an agreement as early as possible to avoid any lingering contract uncertainties during the upcoming season.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Treliving understands the importance of swiftly finalizing Nylander’s extension. Having already secured Matthews, the Maple Leafs aim to remove any potential distractions and maintain a cohesive team atmosphere as they pursue their quest for a Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, Treliving’s attempts to instill a sense of urgency in Nylander have proven to be unfruitful.
Treliving expressed his intentions, stating, “Willy is a really important player and a really good player, and we want to get him done, too. That’s next on the list.” He emphasized that Nylander has expressed his desire to remain with the Maple Leafs, a crucial factor in the negotiation process. Still, there’s no deal done.
While Treliving acknowledged the importance of retaining key players, he also emphasized that contract negotiations are unique to each player and take time to reach a resolution. In Nylander’s situation, he seems less rushed to finalize things before the season starts. It’s not the same approach Matthews took as Treliving said at the time of that deal, it only got done because Auston wanted it done.
Will This Hang Over the Maple Leafs All Season?
As Nylander enters the final year of his contract before potentially becoming an unrestricted free agent, both sides are motivated to reach an agreement, perhaps the Maple Leafs a little more than the player. Fortunately, Treliving indicated that talks have not hit an impasse, highlighting ongoing discussions.
As per LeBrun, while the trade deadline in March could be a consideration, it appears that both parties are willing to extend negotiations into the next summer if necessary, provided the Leafs remain competitive contenders. LeBrun says, “There was a sense at one point that if Nylander didn’t sign this summer he might get dealt. Now the Leafs sound like they’re willing to play this out.”
The Maple Leafs and Nylander share the common goal of securing a prosperous future together. The organization’s commitment to locking in its core players demonstrates their dedication to achieving success in the upcoming season and beyond. They just need to get Nylander on the same page.
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Chris
September 8, 2023 at 11:02 am
Nylander’s not going to come down on price when he knows Marner’s going to push for an even bigger payday, and understandably so.