Report: Contract Extension Negotiations with William Nylander and Maple Leafs Reach 'Standstill'
Although there is optimism the Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews will get a new deal done, the same can't be said for William Nylander.
There appears to be no movement when it comes to contract negotiations between the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was a guest on the NHL Network and updated the very latest on what's going with both Nylander and Auston Matthews.
"I think that's kind of at a standstill," Friedman said on Tuesday. "I think that they aren't close. Unless someone really budges (on) their position, that one is going to stay at a standstill."
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffVJzbJYvrI[/embed]
Nylander has been eligible to sign a contract extension dating back to July 1 and his existing deal expires after this season. After that, the Swedish forward becomes an unrestricted free agent and is able to sign with any club he chooses.
In late June, TSN's Chris Johnston reported that Nylander's asking price was around the $10 million mark, substantially higher than the $6,963,366 average annual value he currently sits at on Toronto’s books.
"I think the issue there from Nylander is if other players aren't going to take a little bit less (money) to win there (in Toronto), then I don't think that he's going to, either," Friedman said.
Nylander is coming off a career-high 40-goal season and a career-high in points (87).
There's a more optimistic tone regarding Matthews' negotiation talks even though he hasn't signed yet.
"The Matthews thing is going to happen, I think the question is when is it going to happen? And what term is going to happen for," Friedman said. "I think it's going to be somewhere between three-to-five years and I think it's going to happen, I just don't know exactly when."
Friedman also suggests that there is a debate about which of Nylander and Matthews' deals gets done first. If Nylander is going to take less money, it would make sense for him and his representatives to wait to see what Matthews does.
Matthews is expected to get a raise from the $11.64 million he has earned annually with the Maple Leafs. It's just a matter of how much higher that number can get.
Related