Nylander scored twice and added an assist in a 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks. But he couldn't help but smile when asked about if he was close to a new deal in Toronto.
Nylander scored twice and added an assist in a 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks. But he couldn't help but smile when asked about if he was close to a new deal in Toronto.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — William Nylander has multiple reasons to smile.
Not only did the Toronto Maple Leafs forward add to his team lead in points with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 victory against the San Jose Sharks, but he's nearing a reported eight-year pact to stay with the club, worth around $11.5 million per season, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
How close is he to putting pen to paper?
"We'll see," he said smiling from ear to ear as he walked away from the media scrum at SAP Center on Saturday.
Nylander is enjoying a career year with the Maple Leafs and leads his team with 54 points this season (21 goals and 33 assists).
It's evident that the skilled forward has bet on himself and won. With initial reports during the summer seeing Nylander's camp ask for $10 million, the forward has only seen his asking price go up and it's hard to blame him given how he's performed through the club's first 37 games of the season.
As the season flipped from 2023 to 2024, the Maple Leafs want clarity on where they stood with Nylander as they figure out their plans for the Mar. 8 trade deadline.
Friedman reports that the Nylander deal could be announced as soon as Monday.
The forward maintained his insistence on wanting to stay with the club that drafted him in the first round (8th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft.
"That would be a dream to stay here, to play for such an organization and call Toronto home," Nylander said after the game. "It would be a special feeling."
The 27-year-old's new pact, when signed, will have other implications in addition to the trade deadline. Mitch Marner will be eligible to sign a new contract on July 1, 2024 and could be looking for an increase beyond his $10.903 million average annual value.
Knowing Nylander would be locked up for the long haul, would be music to Marner's ears.
"I'm sure he just gave you guys nothing, he's given us nothing, too," Marner said of Nylander's prospects. "But he's a big part of this team and he's had a great year for us.
Leafs captain John Tavares will also be eligible for an extension on July 1.
With the NHL salary cap set to increase to $87,.675 for 2024-2025, the Leafs are looking at Nylander (around $11.5million), Marner ($10.903million), Auston Matthews ($13.25millon) and Tavares (11 million) accounting for around 53.21 percent of the team's cap. That's a higher percentage than when all four initially signed their previous deals.
The question becomes, will the Leafs be able to remain competitive with Marner due for a raise? Or will something have to give with Toronto's core four forwards?
Time will tell.
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