Auston Matthews and Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving spoke to the media Friday following the 25-year-old's contract extension.
Auston Matthews and Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving spoke to the media Friday following the 25-year-old's contract extension.
One contract down, one more to go for the Maple Leafs.
Two days after signing a four-year extension in Toronto, Auston Matthews and Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving spoke with the media.
And while there was plenty of talk about Matthews' deal and how it got done, there was some discussion, too, about William Nylander's contract situation.
Similar to Matthews, before signing his extension, Nylander has one more year remaining on his contract with him currently eligible to sign a new deal.
But this negotiation, for both sides, seems like a more difficult one to get over the finish line.
"We've got one done, and now we'll continue to work at William's (contract)," Treliving said on Friday.
"William's a terrific player. He's a star. And you want to keep your good players, so we have time, William's got a year left on his contract. We'll continue to work away at it and hopefully, when we have good news, we'll be for sure to share it."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLg1t6FA8Sw[/embed]
Earlier on Wednesday, prior to Matthews signing his extension, Nylander sat down with Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek for the NHL's European Media Tour.
The 27-year-old was asked about the negotiations and stated that he's not worried, reminding everyone that he still has another year left on his deal.
"I still got one more year left and that's the place I want to be at," Nylander said. "There's lots of time to get something done."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX6jaDb3eoQ[/embed]
So when the 25-year-old signed later on Wednesday, everyone was curious as to when the next domino (Nylander signing) would fall.
Matthews was asked to give his take on how his teammate is handling it all, and he said that it's Nylander's own situation but hopes a deal can get done.
"I don't know, everybody's in a different position and different situation," Matthews said via Zoom on Friday. "Obviously, I love Willy. I've enjoyed playing with him, being his teammate, being his friend. His position is his own. It's his own situation and obviously, all of us want him here. He's obviously, like he expressed, he's not in much of a rush.
"For myself personally, it was nice to get it done and get it over with, know what lies ahead in my future here. This is obviously where I want to be.
"Like I said, I hope everything works out, I'm sure it will. He's his own man and he'll make his own decisions. I hope he's a Maple Leaf for a very long time as well."
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