TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined TSN Radio to discuss his comments about William Nylander and why he thinks it is almost a certainty he will re-sign with the Maple Leafs.
** NHLRumors.com Transcription
Host: “Alright, let’s talk about what you had to say yesterday on a Leaf Report podcast, which is definitely making the rounds all over social media. Reddit is ablaze. I’m going to paraphrase and maybe you could help correct me. Here we go. 90% chance if not higher that William Nylander signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Whether it’s during the season, or the offseason, care to elaborate on that hot take if you want to call it that.”
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Chris Johnston: Well it was a take as you can imagine. It’s not as though anyone saying that. I mean, look, this is what I think about the Nylander’s situation. I really believe he wants to stay in Toronto. I really believe the Leafs want to sign him. I do think that they’ve talked and continue to talk about what that might look like, and I would just be surprised if it didn’t happen.
That was that. Every time you put a percentage on it anywhere, that’s where I get myself in trouble because I get why it rips around the internet. But, you know, even though we’re in the early stages of this season, and they didn’t reach a deal before the year started, I just don’t have any reason to believe that they’re not going to find a way to get it done. Just might take some time. You know that comment was not predicated like it’s happening this week. It was more about just my belief that they’ll find a way to get the deal done because I think it’s something both want to see happen.”
Host: “But my understanding based on you know, similar situations that I’ve come across is that if a guy really loves it in a place what is taking so long to get the deal done?”
Johnston: “Right. Well, I don’t have a good answer there. You know, I think that it didn’t happen because, you know, it’s a little bit of a staring contest, right? I mean, Nylander wants a certain number. The Leafs are trying to keep them below that number. The summer goes along, you know, I don’t think there was a lot of talk throughout the summer. Everyone gets back into Toronto in September. And they just there’s no reason and nothing forcing them together.
I think now the season starting and obviously, he’s been off individually to a pretty strong start, you know, that could change some things right? If he has another big year, if he has another big, you know, 15 or 20 games to start the season. Maybe there’s there’s new pressure, there is new information that, you know, can inform this kind of decision.
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But, you know, I don’t have a great answer other than let’s face it, in addition to him wanting to be here, we also know he’s got a lot of self-belief, right? He took it right to the brink the last time and so I think that the reason it probably didn’t get done sooner is because he didn’t take or wasn’t willing to take anything less than he thought he was worth.
You know, as the summer went along and, you know, both sides have done a good job of keeping things really quiet in terms of the day-to-day machinations so I you know, in all truth, I don’t know what’s happening today, or what’s happened in this last little while with those conversations, but I just think that there’s still enough optimism there to think that there’s gonna it’s gonna get done.”