Update on the latest involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and free agent William Nylander
TSN Insider Trading: Bob McKenzie says there is reason to believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander’s representatives have held talks this week as they work towards a deal. Determining Nylander’s long-term value is one issue the sides are having as they work on a six- or seven-year deal.
“So how do you break that log jam? Well one of the possibilities that the Leafs and Nylander may be looking at is a short-term bridge deal. Not a two-year deal, I wouldn’t think. But something along these lines: when Ryan Johansen couldn’t come to terms with the Columbus Blue Jackets, he took a three-year deal at $4 million and when Nikita Kucherov couldn’t come to terms on a long-term deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he took a three-year deal at $4.77 million. You’ll notice that each of these guys then, two or three years later after doing that short-term bridge deal, they were able to come in and hit home runs. Eight million a year for Johansen, $9.5 million for Kucherov.”
One thing that Nylander may be concerned if he signs a contract in the $6 million range is that Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner may blow past him on their next deals.
Pierre LeBrun adds that teams have started calling the Maple Leafs over the past seven days asking about Nylander. Leafs GM Kyle Dubas told them they are not moving him and that they are going sign him.
There have also been speculation about an offer sheet, but that may be more gossip than anything.
“Would a team be willing to do that to the Leafs and try and get Nylander on a one-year deal at let’s say $8.1 million with the idea that it would be a difficult qualifying offer for the Leafs to absorb next year. Forget about it. The Leafs have a ton of cap room, they would match under any circumstance and in fact I’m told the Nylander camp is not focused on that at all right now, they’re absolutely focused on trying to get a deal done with the Leafs.”
LeBrun said that he’s been told that there have been talks between Dubas and agent Lewis Gross in the past 24 hours (as of yesterday evening).
Is there a future cap benefit if #Leafs wait until after the season starts to sign Nylander?
Based on a league bylaw, RFA's who sign multiyear deals in-season see a higher cap hit in year 1, but a reduced cap hit in years 2+
Details 👉 https://t.co/WwjlPimlfH
Few examples 👇 pic.twitter.com/GNJY3vGj44
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) September 27, 2018