Reporter reveals the worst for William Nylander and the Maple Leafs

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Dawson Mckenzie
August 21, 2023 (7:56 PM)

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With a worsening cap situation, the situation regarding a Nylander extension is looking bleak for Toronto. With Matthews unsigned, it seems very unlikely that Treliving will be able to reach a deal with both players.

Matthews Done Deal

While it's not announced, and definitely not a certainty, Jay Rosehill and Nick Algebra discussed on Leafs Morning Take their thoughts on the Matthews/Nylander situation.

My theory is that Matthews' contract is already finalized. It reminds me of Nathan McKinnon from last year; even though they didn't announce it on July 1, everyone knew he'd re-sign, especially after winning the Stanley Cup with Denver. The announcement came around training camp. Similarly, I believe Matthews will sign his extension when this year's training camp starts. Regarding Nylander, given his history and the known stance of his father, he's shown he's willing to negotiate until the last minute.

The two go on to discuss what a potential extension for Matthews means for an unsigned Nylander.

In the meantime, as Rosie mentioned, there's not much to report on the Nylander front, and the same goes for Auston Matthews. When do you expect news on this? Perhaps in September? Honestly, I don't know. With these two guys, it boils down to the team's position. They have players they need to sign; some are overpaid, while others deserve more. There's a salary cap to consider. How will they make it work? I genuinely don't know what they're planning. I have a gut feeling we might lose Nylander, and sadly, he's one of the players I'd prefer to retain. The reason he deserves a higher salary is that many people want to keep him.

Nylander's Worth

It's been well reported that the Nylander camp is looking for something in the range of $9.5-10 million AAV, while Toronto wants to keep it at or below $9 million.

While Nylander might be worth his ask, the Leafs just don't have enough of the pie left to give him that big of a slice. If what was reported is true, and Matthews is extended, that leaves even less for Nylander. If Nylander's camp knows this and is still stubborn with their demands, it could be time to look at what type of return they could get for him, before he walks away for free.

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