TSN: Craig Button and Dave Poulin on That’s Hockey when asked if Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander should let the season play out after his hot start.
** NHLRumors.com Transcription
Gino Reda: “So, what does this all mean for Nylander and his future with the Leafs? Here are Dave Poulin and Craig Button to discuss. Craig, Nylander bet on himself by going to the final year of his current deal without an extension. He said he’d be willing to talk mid-season but after his great start out of the gate, should he put his phone on silent and let the process play itself out?”
Button: “I’ve watched William Nylander play for a long time and I know Willam Nylander. William Nylander never fusses about anything. He doesn’t fuss about his play. He didn’t fuss about his current contract. He’s not fussing about his next contract. He just goes out and plays. And to John Klingberg‘s point, he’s an underrated player. I’m with John Klingberg. I’d been there for a long time.
William Nylander is a top player, and I believe he wants to be elite. And so if you look at his current contract, it’s $7 million a year cap hit. And if it goes to $10 million, so what? That’s only $3 million more than he’s making right now. And there’s value for an elite player, one of the best players in the entire National Hockey League. And William’s just going to keep playing.
And I think this has been a situation that it’s real simple, either Brad Treliving says yes, or he says no. I don’t think there’s any problem for William Nylander. He’s gonna continue to play at the high elite level that he’s played out for a long time, and it’s up to Brad Treliving in the management.
And if he’s, if they don’t want him, I don’t like the thought of the Toronto Maple Leafs being without them and being without John Taveras, potentially, at the beginning of the ’25 season. I don’t think that makes you a better team.”
Reda: “All right, Dave. Craig has opened the door. On the flip side, give us the Maple Leafs management’s take on this. Should Brad Treliving feel more urgency to get a deal done based on how Nylander has started the season?”
Poulin: “I don’t think he does feel more urgency. The urgency has always been there. The Toronto Maple Leafs want Willy Nylander to be a part of the future moving forward. And we’re told Willy Nylander wants to be here. So they should be able to get a deal done.
The complexity Gino is inside their own locker room and it has been with their core four over the last number of years. No one doubts the output of the four players. The problem is financially. It doesn’t all work together to be able to build a competitive hockey team around them at the highest level.
And so now you’re looking in your own locker for the last four years plus this year, Willy Nylander will have earned $4 million a year last and Mitch Marner. So he wants to raise. Right now Mitch Marner continues to make $10.9 million. So if you’re Willy Nylander, you’re saying wait a second, over the last four years I’ve scored 21 more goals than Marner. Yes, he’s outpointed me. I’ve been a better performer in the playoffs, both goals and points-wise, and my game continues to get better.
So why should I settle for less? I’ve already settled for $4 million a year less for the last four years and this one. So that’s where the complexity is. And, you know, I was, had a chance to be an unrestricted free agent once in my career, late in my career. And I played up until Christmas and the team came to me and said, ‘We’d really like to talk about extending you’ and I said, ‘Well, I’ve absorbed the risk for the first half of this year. And so now I’m gonna wait.’
And I totally agree with Craig, I don’t think Willie is fussed by this at all. I think he’s gonna play the way he plays regardless. But it’s in their best interest, the team’s best interest, to try and get them locked up. I don’t think the price goes up. I think the price is high to start with. They just have to figure out how it all fits.”
Reda: “If they can’t figure out the math and if Nylander doesn’t sign it, could be a huge boost for free agent frenzy. Nylander has 12 points, make him the current highest-scoring pending unrestricted free agent in the entire league.”
