REPORT | William Nylander prevented a blockbuster deal that would've given a star player to the Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been known recently for their different strategies to disregard and circumvent the NHL Salary Cap. Now that they've signed Auston Matthews to the highest cap hit in NHL history, they still have one important contractual negotiation to deal with: William Nylander's.
Nylander's future in Toronto: Unlikely
Unless Nylander willingly takes a massive discount on his incoming deal, the more time passes, the more unlikely it gets that Toronto renew his contract. With Toronto salary cap struggles and Stanley Cup objectives, nobody knows what strategy Brad Treliving and the Leafs could opt for.
Recent talks have suggested that Nylander's name had been involved in some trade talks. It was most recently reported that Nylander had blocked a blockbuster trade with Arizona from happening:
Since Keller is signed at a $7.15M until 2028, that would've been a massive win for Toronto. They could retain the services of a point per game producer in return for Nylander, whom they cannot extend. Nylander had a career-best season in 2022-2023. The winger scored 40 goals and amassed 87 points in 82 games.
| POLL | ||
Will Nylander extend with the Leafs? | ||
| No, they're going to have to move him | 313 | 56.9 % |
| Yes | 122 | 22.2 % |
| No, he's headed to UFA | 115 | 20.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
