It’s not easy to be the general manager of a new hockey team with a long list of things to do in order to work the phones and put together a roster. Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has been extremely busy since he was hired but has so far exceeded expectations in regards to what he has been able to accomplish in such a short time.
He signed a number of key free agents, he re-signed head coach Sheldon Keefe and locked up his franchise player in Auston Matthews. Since then, the shift has focussed to what lies in store for forward William Nylander as he’s looking for an extension himself. There has been a sense of nervous tension when it comes to Nylander’s contract as history shows.
However, with some recent development, there could be a reason why fans could be optimistic that things won’t get to a worst-case scenario for Nylander. This could be the first bit of good news overall with this talking point.
Reason For Optimism
While everything seemed quiet in regards to the Nylander negotiations ever since there was news at the NHL Draft that things weren’t going so well. However, on the latest segment of Insider Trading, there seems to be a reason for optimism in regards to negotiation and that things could work out with one of the Maple Leafs’ star players.
TSN’s Darren Dreger says that Treliving has met with Nylander in an important “face to face” meeting in regards to getting an extension done, with more to happen in the future. This alone is a good first step for both sides. It’s a similar approach to how he handled the contract for Auston Matthews, meeting with him face to face to establish a rapport with each other.
Pierre LeBrun then adds that there are “positive vibes” and that “everyone is on the same page” in regards to the contract negotiation. There’s still a lot that needs to unfold, but this is a much better indication that things might be going more smoothly this time around than when he signed his six-year deal minutes before the deadline. With Nylander saying that he would let his agent negotiate during the season, no matter how things play out, is also a good indication that both sides want to come to an agreement and find some common ground.
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The only thing that remains is what the final contract would be. There’s still the rumour that Nylander sees himself as a $10 million player while the Maple Leafs may want to have him at a lower AAV with $9 million being their range. Although there hasn’t been much to talk about to this point, this in itself is a great sign of some possible progress.
Nylander Remains Important Piece
No matter what comes of this, Nylander is deserving of a pay increase and shouldn’t have to take a discount a second time around. His production the last two seasons show that he’s well worth the investment. If Nylander were to walk as a free agent this season it would definitely be tough to replace the production that he has had lately.
Saying that Nylander is an important piece for the Maple Leafs offense is an understatement. Over the last two seasons he has produced consistently with back-to-back 80-point campaigns and with those totals, he ranks 21st overall in points in the NHL with 167 and 19th in goals with 74. Even during the last two postseasons, he has come up clutch at certain points when the Maple Leafs needed a spark and he delivered.
While there has been an experiment with him at the centre position– which has brought mixed results– that may have to be put on hold with Fraser Minten making the team and occupying the third centre spot. For Nylander that shouldn’t be an issue as he’ll look to remain on the second line with John Tavares and Max Domi. When he was put back on the wing, his production and impact started to pick up even more.
While they may circle back on that, he looked to have that quickness and dominating game on the wing that’s made him a threat at that spot this whole time. Nylander showed to have great chemistry with Domi as they instantly clicked, playing with a great amount of speed and pace. In three games tracked during the preseason, the duo had a five-on-five 62.50 scoring chances for percentage and a high danger chances for percentage of 69.23.
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This alone could be the start of what could be another dominating season where Nylander proves that he’s capable of being an elite level producing winger in the NHL. If he’s able to replicate that success, he can expect to see a big payday.
Different from Last Negotiation
Given how things were all quiet before and how both team and player were presenting their case at the start, a lot has changed since then. From Nylander stating that he wants to remain in Toronto to the news that both sides are talking right now, it shows the commitment from both sides to get a new deal done.
With talks going to happen and possibly progress through the season, this definitely feels like a different situation from Nylander’s last contract where there seemed to be very little dialogue until the final minutes. A lot needs to fall into place, but this is a great sign as Treliving tries to keep another key piece in the fold.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick and NHL.
