The National Hockey League season begins in five weeks and the clock is ticking on the Toronto Maple Leafs to resign one of their young star players.
William Nylander is a restricted free agent and while the talented winger and Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas have said they are in no hurry to get a deal done, shouldn’t they be, like, getting a deal done?
The two sides are talking, so there’s that, but Maple Leafs fans are eager to see what Nylander gets in regards to term and price point.
The eighth overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft has scored 20-plus goals in back-to-back seasons and has collected 135 points in 185 career games with Toronto.
Nylander, 22, has indicated that he wishes to sign a long term contract with the Leafs, which shows some loyalty, but from a salary cap standpoint does that make the most sense for the Maple Leafs?
Nylander is not going to want to take a hometown discount on a long term deal but he’s also turning his nose at a two-year bridge contract.
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Dubas not only has to think about resigning Nylander this summer, he has two other – and bigger – priorities to consider.
The entry level contracts of superstar center Auston Matthews and dynamic winger Mitch Marner expire next summer and the Leafs have to make sure – especially after signing prized free agent John Tavares this summer – that all these mega-deals keep the club under the salary cap.
How much do the Leafs pay Matthews, Marner and Nylander, and for how long?
It’s definitely a delicate balance for Dubas.
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