Latest On Matthews & Nylander As Time Ticks And Urgency Rises
Auston Matthews and William Nylander have been in the hockey headlines all summer. Both are heading into contract years without an extension. The urgency is starting to be turned up on needing to get these contracts done. Recently on the JD Bunkis Podcast, he talked with James Mirtle about the offseason and where things stand with Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
is closer to a trade. And Matthew's deal is basically on the doorstep. And then neither of them happened.
Extension Timetables
One of the first topics the pair head into is the timeline for an extension for both Matthews and Nylander.
These quotes are consistent with recent reports that Matthews is closer to an extension and would like to have one done around training camp. Nylander's case as they said is quite a bit more clouded in mystery.
What To Do With William Nylander?
Bunkis and Murtle then go into more speculation about how the Nylander scenario could play out. Including how long should the Leafs allow the negotiations to drag on.
Like, I don't see a scenario where you're going to enter the trade deadline. And I've tried to kind of kick that around, maybe even with you. Or maybe I was talking about with Versteeg, where you go, maybe the ideal scenario is you go into the season, you see how it plays out. And then you approach the deadline thinking, hey, is he someone you flip somewhere? And I went, how would that ever work? How does a Nylander trade in the middle of the year work? You're moving more.
I just, I can't, if I'm Brad Treliving, I can't have another Johnny Gaudreau situation.
The idea of having to trade one of the core four, especially in a contract year is not at all appetizing. However, this may be a reality, particularly in the case of William Nylander.
The Optics Of A Matthews Extension Before The Season.
Auston Matthews is one of the biggest stars in the NHL playing in one of the biggest markets in the league. When there is news about him and the Toronto Maple Leafs it will get covered and talked about more than just about any other player on any other team. The pair touched on this and the media firestorm that could come in training camp.
I think, I think early September is fine. Like I don't think anybody's, this is one of those things that feels like a big deal now and if it's done in three weeks, right? So I think everyone involved knows that it's different here.
While they acknowledge that things are different they also say that getting a deal done in early September is fine. This would allow the Leafs to head into training camp with their biggest star under contract. Avoiding all of the speculation and questions for everyone involved.
| POLL | ||
Who will re-sign with the Leafs? | ||
| Auston Matthews | 564 | 49.3 % |
| William Nylander | 58 | 5.1 % |
| Both | 377 | 32.9 % |
| Neither | 146 | 12.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
