If the Toronto Maple Leafs can’t find a deal that they like, the team is willing to allow restricted free agent holdout William Nylander to sit out the entire season, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Hockey Night in Canada.
“If there isn’t a trade that presents itself — and we spoke last week about the fact that they are gauging the market on William Nylander, and William Nylander’s demands don’t come to the range that they’re comfortable paying — they’re comfortable letting this player sit and I think that’s significant with the fact that it’s 13-plus days remaining and tensions only to get a little higher as we get closer to Dec. 1,” Johnston said.
For a team with the potential to win now while they have many players on entry-level deals, that may not be the best course of action. Nylander is a major free agent and the team could use Nylander or the potential returns from a trade, whose situation must be decided on by Dec. 1. With the emergence of Kasperi Kapanen, who also will be a restricted free agent next season, the team may not need Nylander’s offense, but with a struggling defense, the team could use a trade to bring in much needed defensive help for a team attempting to challenge for a Stanley Cup now.
The last player to sit out an entire season due to a contract dispute was Michael Peca when he sat out the 2001-02 season while at a contract impasse with the Buffalo Sabres.
Of course, Toronto may be sending that message out to teams with the hope of increasing offers from other teams who hope to get Nylander at a reduced price as that Dec. 1 deadline nears. If teams believe that Toronto will let him sit, teams may be willing to hand over more assets to get a deal done before the deadline.
Nylander for Chycrun
Yeah. An oft injured Defencemen.
Because that will make him want to sign for less next season.
They have to pay Matthews and Marner. Odds are Nylander wont get the amount he is expecting from TOR
I said all along, ever since June that he probably won’t play another game for this team. he’s a good player no doubt but he’s propped up by a top 10 player in the league. his group I’m sure are arguing that he helps Matthews but that’s trumped by Kapanen this year who was benefiting from Matthews more than matthews benefiting from him. fact is the leafs don’t need nylander. they only need him if they can’t improve on d and need to outscore every team with 5 goals a game. trade him for a top 4 d and you can find players similar to him just a couple years older at half the price going forward.
You do know kapanen has produced mostly without Matthews right? Kid is unreal and keeps that 2nd line producing in Matthews absence
actually wrong. most of his points were in games when he was paired with Matthews.
I’m not saying he’s trash. he is a great player and has tremendous speed but if nylander thinks because of 60 points with Matthews he is worth 8 million, he will never play on this team again.
Kappanen with Matthews in the lineup 11gp – 6g – 4a -10pts. Without Matthews 9gp – 2g – 2a – 4pts
I couldn’t agree more. Nylander is, at this point, close to being ppg player as long as he is riding shotgun for a player of Matthews caliber. Nylander’s ppg with Matthews in the lineup is .77 and without it’s. 55.
.77 ppg is 63 pts over a full season while .55 is 45 pts over a full season. Not worth anything near 8 million
Posturing on behalf of the Leafs front office. For a negotiation so tight lipped as this one has been with very little coming out about it, it’s not a coincidence this info was leaked. They’re wanting William to know what’ll happen if he doesn’t give a little in his demands. If he’s prepared to sit out the full year, yes his value will be lower next year.
I don’t know it seems he hasn’t budged yet, I don’t think an extra 6 months or whatever will make him budge. He seems to want his money. The only way this will workout is with a trade imo. They can’t afford him and he’s not moving off his number.
Not sure how this will all end up, but it needs to end one way or another.
How about Skjei and Vesey for Nylander?
Rangers then pay him no more then 7.5 per.
Ah no and no
Kudos to Leaf management for not budging on their offer, they are doing the entire league a favour on their stance. The contract $ problem stems from Edmonton giving Drisital 8.5 per. I hope they hold their ground and if nylander and his dad don’t accept the bridge deal, trade him to a bottom feeder after dec 1 who could provide the return and actually be happy he can’t return till next year.,,or,,,,hold on to him and trade him next June. You can’t give in to these guys like Edmonton did
The problem is that there seems to be teams lining up who are willing to pay him that.