According to Luke Fox of Sportsnet, who sat down with Brad Treliving, the reason the contract was signed before the upcoming season was because this is what Matthews wanted; take a look.
While this comment might just seem like a compliment to Matthews many fans have felt it runs deeper. Treliving's comments show that the Leafs and Matthews were on the same page in wanting a deal signed before next season.
On the other side of this comment sits William Nylander. Nylander has made it clear he's in absolutely no rush to sign a new deal. In fact Nylander has mentioned he has another year on his deal and doesn't understand why anyone is in a hurry to sign a deal.
Many fans felt that Treliving's comments were actually a message to both Nylander and his agent Lewis Gross. The new narrative in Toronto might just be that one star player sees the importance of not wanting any in-season distractions, while the other is just trying to extract maximum value.
Brad Treliving has already put his stamp on this Leafs' team, but it looks like he's far from done in trying to change the culture in Toronto.
POLL | ||
Do you think Nylander waiting to sign a contract will be a distraction to the team? | ||
Yes | 65 | 46.8 % |
No | 35 | 25.2 % |
Negotiating in season always is | 39 | 28.1 % |
List of polls |