Chris Johnston of Sportsnet: Toronto Maple Leafs restricted free agent forward William Nylander hasn’t heard of any progress as he leaves everything up to his agent.
“Right now, I do not know more than all the rest of you,” Nylander told Aftonbladet. “I have not received any messages and have no contact with Toronto. It’s my agent who takes care of everything.”
It’s believed there is still a big gap on a six- to eight-year deal.
Nikolaj Ehlers ($6 million per) and David Pastrnak’s ($6.67 million per) seems like comparables but Nylander’s is worried about the UFA years that may be bought.
Nylander said that he hadn’t thought about joining a European team with he’s without an NHL contract.
Michael Traikos of the Toronto Sun: The Maple Leafs still hold leverage with Nylander.
Nylander is skating in Sweden wearing a Leafs practice and it’s costing him around $30,000 a day to sit out. “Nylander cannot win this battle. He needs the Leafs more than they need him.”
He still wants to play for the Maple Leafs and be a part of their potential success, but he also wants to get paid.
“In the end I have to take care of myself and do what I and my agent thinks is right. Especially if it’s about several years to come,” Nylander told Aftonbladet. “I need to think long term. It’s my own future it’s about.”
Chris Nichols of Nichols of Hockey: Elliotte Friedman was on the NHL Network yesterday talking about the two remaining unsigned restricted free agents William Nylander and Nick Ritchie.
Friedman thinks that Nylander has been asking the Maple Leafs for Leon Draisaitl type money (who is at $8.5 million per) as he may be concerned Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner will make a lot more on their next deals like McDavid and Draisaitl in Edmonton.
“I do believe that both sides were talking about a long-term deal, and I do believe that at some point they started talking about something a little less – maybe four years – but on AAV I think they are still pretty far apart. I think the Maple Leafs would like this to be under 6.5, and right now the Nylander side is not anywhere close to that.”
