William Nylander signed an eight-year contract price $92 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. That’s an eye-popping quantity for Nylander, and it’ll make him one of many NHL’s highest-paid gamers when the extension kicks in subsequent season. It can additionally power the Leafs to make some powerful choices subsequent offseason.
Presently taking part in out the ultimate yr of his present contract at $6.9 million per yr, Nylander was due for a large pay elevate, and he acquired it. It was well-earned, particularly provided that Nylander is coming off the primary 40-goal season of his profession and he’s on tempo for one more one this yr.
Nylander has been one among Toronto’s two finest gamers in 2023-24, together with Auston Matthews, however his new cap hit will vault him into the higher echelon of the NHL’s elite. Here’s a have a look at the highest cap hits for the 2024-25 season as issues stand at present.
However for in addition to Nylander has performed over the past calendar yr, his manufacturing hasn’t at all times stacked up nicely with a few of the different forwards on that record. Matthews scored 60 targets in 2021-22, he has led the league in scoring in two of the final three seasons, and he’s on tempo to attain 68 targets this yr.
David Pastrnak tallied 61 targets final season, and he’s doing a little bit of the whole lot for the Boston Bruins within the wake of Patrice Bergeron’s departure this season. That has thrust him into the Hart Trophy dialogue after he completed second in voting for the award final yr.
Talking of the 2024 Hart Trophy, Nathan MacKinnon can be one of many frontrunners for the award. He is completed within the high 5 of voting for the MVP award 4 occasions all through his profession, and he led the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup in 2022.
Then, there’s Connor McDavid, who is just in one other stratosphere in comparison with each different participant within the league. He has 123 targets and 208 assists for the reason that begin of the 2021-22 season, three Hart trophies, and 5 Artwork Ross trophies. McDavid might be underpaid at $12.5 million.
Nylander has been distinctive this season, however he has but to indicate that he can do it at that degree over a number of years. His present profession highs are 40 targets, 47 assists, and 87 factors, which he hit final season. By means of 40 video games this yr, Nylander is on tempo to shatter all three of these numbers and end with 45 targets, 77 factors, and 122 factors. That will surely be an output price $11.5 million per yr.
Nylander will probably be 28 years outdated when the brand new contract begins, and getting older curves recommend he will not precisely take his sport to a different degree after that, however he’s a extremely expert participant who may defy these historic tendencies. It additionally helps that Nylander has been a robust play driver at five-on-five in his profession, no matter manufacturing. Within the final three seasons, Toronto owns a 55.8% anticipated targets share and plus-13 purpose differential, per Pure Stat Trick.
Relating to Nylander, the Maple Leafs had a tricky choice to make. They needed to make a tough alternative, and so they should make extra quickly. If Toronto’s purpose is to maintain its Stanley Cup window open, and it very a lot is, then protecting Nylander was in all probability the appropriate transfer. Regardless that he could not produce on the identical degree of Matthews, MacKinnon or Pastrnak, Nylander is the kind of participant groups will search far and large to seek out, and the opposite choices weren’t very interesting.
The Leafs would have struggled to get equal worth in return, particularly with regards to getting gamers who may get them over the hump this season. The opposite choice was to let him stroll in free company and signal or commerce for one more star participant within the offseason. Gamers of Nylander’s caliber do not typically hit free company, and opposing groups aren’t normally eager on giving them up in trades.
Whereas extending Nylander could nicely show to be the appropriate choice, it might have a domino impact this offseason. Proper now, the Leafs have $65.6 million dedicated to 13 gamers for the 2024-25 season, per CapFriendly. That leaves simply round $22 million for roughly 10 extra gamers, and there are just a few intriguing restricted free brokers like Timothy Liljegren, who might be due for a slight elevate.
The choice Toronto basic supervisor Brad Treliving should make this offseason is whether or not he can construct a Stanley Cup contender across the “Core 4.” Between Matthews, Nylander, John Tavares and Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs will probably have 4 of the 12 costliest offers on their books in 2024-25 as soon as Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson will get his new contract.
Matthews and Nylander at the moment are signed for the lengthy haul, however Tavares and Marner every have only one yr left past this one. Contemplating Tavares will probably be 34 at the beginning of subsequent season, he’s the apparent commerce candidate, however the 26-year-old Marner would probably herald an even bigger haul in a deal.
Perhaps Treliving opts to maintain that core group collectively, however then he has a mean of round $2 million per participant with which to fill out the remainder of the roster. That presents its personal set of challenges as a result of it typically takes star energy and depth to navigate the pains of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Inking Nylander to a big extension was the appropriate name for a franchise nonetheless chasing its first Stanley Cup since 1967. The Leafs could be hard-pressed to discover a ample alternative for one of many extra electrifying gamers within the NHL proper now, however it’ll create extra painful choices within the close to future.
