TORONTO – William Nylander’s contract impasse has finally come to an end.
The restricted free agent signed a six-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, just before the deadline of 5 p.m. ET. The agreement carries an average annual value of US$10.2 million this season and $6.9 million from years two through six.
Nylander, who was selected eighth overall by the Leafs in the 2014 draft, had to sign a contract by Saturday’s deadline in order to be eligible to play in the NHL this season.
Nylander and the club had been at odds on the terms of a new agreement after his entry-level contract expired July 1, with negotiations stretching through the summer, into training camp and ultimately forcing the 22-year-old winger to miss 26 games this season.
There were reports Nylander, who remained in Europe during talks between his representatives and Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, was initially asking for $8 million per season on a long-term deal, with Toronto believed to have been countering with an offer in a $6-million range annually.
The son of former NHLer Michael Nylander was the first of Toronto’s young star forwards – Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are the others – to hit restricted free agency.
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