Toronto Maple Leafs: Nylander Has Already Lost His Contract Negotiation

William Nylander took a risk by not signing before the season started. Now the Toronto Maple Leafs star must realize he has lost.

It’s time William Nylander recognizes he’s lost the negotiation battle and agrees to a new contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs’ 6-1 record to begin the season has turned Nylander into an afterthought. During the preseason, a day couldn’t pass without his name being mentioned multiple times. Now, with Toronto averaging close to five goals per game, many are questioning if he’s even needed back or better served as trade bait to acquire a defenseman.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

There’s no question Nylander makes the Maple Leafs a better team. He’s scored back-to-back 61-point seasons playing next to Auston Matthews for the majority of those games. However, he is becoming the first victim of Toronto’s salary cap situation.

Rumors have circulated the Maple Leafs are willing to offer Nylander a contract in the range of $6.5 million annually. The Nylander camp wants the contract to be in the range of $8 million annually, as it’s believed Nylander fears he’ll be significantly surpassed by the new contracts of Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Matthews and Marner are both restricted free agents at the end of the 2018-19 season and are viewed as a higher priority long-term than Nylander. In fact, most believe Nylander now ranks fourth, if not fifth in importance to the club behind Matthews, Marner, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly.

Given the offensive explosion from the Maple Leafs to start the year, along with their 6-1 record, it’s hard to make the case Toronto desperately needs Nylander at any cost. The Maple Leafs are clearly only going to sign Nylander to a team friendly contract as the club has shown they can score without him.

One player many are pointing to as an easy ccomparison to Nylander is David Pastrnak, who has a cap hit of $6.6 million over the next five seasons. Pastrnak has scored 150 points over the past two seasons as he’s cemented his status as the Boston Bruins’ topline right winger. Pastrnak is also considered a better defensive player than Nylander as Nylander’s compete level has shown flashes of disappearing through the grind of 82 games.

Given Pastrnak is a better player offensively and defensively, along with Toronto having no pressure to sign Nylander as they aren’t struggling to score, Nylander has lost all leverage in this negotiation. The Maple Leafs aren’t going to pay Nylander a penny more than Pastrnak and it’s time he accepts it.

Some believe Nylander fears if he signs in the annual range of $6.5 million that he becomes an even better trade chip. Unfortunately, that is just life in the NHL as it’d be impossible to tell Nylander he won’t be traded. It’s a fear Nylander would have to live with one way or another and living with it by playing with one of the best teams in the league seems better than living with not playing at all.

Rumor has it General Manager Kyle Dubas is in Switzerland to sit down and talk with Nylander. One way or another it seems like a resolution to this situation is coming sooner rather than later, especially given one party now has zero leverage.