Report suggests that the Leafs and Nylander may be gaining some traction on a new contract
Some have been convinced that this will finally be the summer that the Leafs' core 4 will be split up, with a William Nylander trade being the most likely outcome. This is, of course, because of his lofty contract demands. Nylander is said to be looking for in excess of $10M per season on a long-term deal. The Leafs' offer was believed to be in the $8M-$9M range.
According to a recent report from The Leafs Nation, things may actually be trending in a more positive direction between the team and the Nylander camp.
"Earlier this summer there was William Nylander being discussed as a prime trade candidate after it was obvious the two sides were quite far apart on a new contract extension. While there seems to still be a gap, from all accounts the contract talks are trending in a positive direction." - TLN on Nylander and the Leafs
Whether this means that the Leafs have given up some ground, Nylander has lowered his ask, or a little of both remains unclear. Of course, with the Leafs being as tight-lipped of an organization as they are, we can't be entirely sure that the report is true, but given the nature of the information, we certainly hope that it's the case.
Nylander is coming off of a career-best 40-goal season, during which he racked up 87 points, also a career high. There's no doubt that he deserves a raise from his current $6.96M AAV, but just how lofty that raise should be is certainly still up for debate.
POLL |
What would you do if you were General Manager of the Leafs? |
Trade Nylander | 39 | 52 % |
Extend Nylander | 26 | 34.7 % |
Use Nylander as an own rental | 10 | 13.3 % |
List of polls |
|
Oct 30 | By Axel Williams Marc-Andre Fleury shares special moment with Sidney Crosby & Kris Letang (video) |
|
Oct 30 | By Axel Williams Insider Frank Seravalli reveals how long Connor McDavid will likely be out for |
|
Oct 29 | By Axel Williams Former Ducks prospect Reggie Millette suspended indefinitely from Southern Professional Hockey League |
|
Oct 29 | By Axel Williams Filip Engaras delivers huge update following horrifying on-ice incident |
|
Oct 29 | By Axel Williams PWHL makes huge announcement regarding expansion |
|
Oct 29 | By Axel Williams Pittsburgh Penguins get fans nostalgic with hilarious Marc-Andre Fleury prank montage (video) |
|
Oct 29 | By Axel Williams Ryan Nugent-Hopkins calls out the Oilers for their reaction to Connor McDavid's injury |
|
Oct 29 | By Axel Williams Elliotte Friedman responds after Brad Marchand calls him out for fake news |
Previously on HockeyUnplugged