What's going on with William Nylander?
EF: I wrote something
today, and nobody disputed it. There's a deal there. There's a deal there and it's ready to get done. And I've had several people tell me, that what they believe, and I believe this information, and if the answer was 'yes, we take the deal', then it can get done very quickly. I don't think that's wrong.
So the Maple Leafs, in the summer, I think they're in the 8s, 9s. The Nylander camp, including the agent, was like that's just not gonna do it. [...] Toronto, they can see that he's earned it; he's done it; he's on pace for career highs in goals, assists, and points; he's playing two minutes more a night than he has previously in his career. The other night against LA he's on the ice protecting the empty netter, we haven't seen him do that a lot. William Nylander has done everything here to earn this new deal. They see it.
I think the other thing here is, the Maple Leafs recognize that because of that, they're going to have to go higher than they wanted to go. And I think that they are prepared to do that, but there's always a limit. And I think that what happens is, that you move into that area, and because it's a negotiation, the group negotiating against you, they always try to squeeze. The Maple Leafs have moved, and they have moved much closer to Nylander's area where he'd hoped to be.
Now there's always a limit, there's always a point where you'll say no, we're not going to do that. And where we have to get to here I believe is the point where the negotiation stops and everybody just realizes they're going as far as they're willing to go, and either everybody says yes, or they don't. And we're not at that point yet.
You know, Toronto wants this done. They stepped this up a little bit before Christmas because they want certainty before the deadline. This not just about re-signing Nylander, this is about how they're going to shape their roster now and for years to come. They don't want to trade their 1st rounder, they don't have a lot of picks, they don't want to trade Cowan, they don't want to trade Minten, they just don't have a lot of assets. And their preference is to trade for people with term. They would rather not do rentals, they'd rather do term or someone they know they can sign.
But in order to do that, you've gotta know, even with the cap going up, what Nylander's numbers going to be; how much room do you have? So I think they've just decided, we're doing this; we're getting it done; we concede; we're in; and we just need to know it's over.
Now there's 4 yeses that have to come here. The Leafs said as long as the number doesn't get to where they won't do it, they're in. Nylander [...], he's very receptive to this. They're in his ballpark. The agent's not talking, but if there was nothing here, the agent would be letting people know there is nothing here. In my history, that's the way it goes.
And then we come to Michael Nylander, the dad. [...] He was a player, he played a long time, he knows the business, he's very much a part of this, everybody knows it. And the entire industry kind of knows him. And I don't say this as a bad thing, but he has a vision of what he sees William's worth as, and he provides that vision. He's very blunt about it. And I think that's kind of what everyone's kind of looking at here: when do all four yeses align? And I think the only danger here, cuz I think everybody wants this done: I think the player wants this done, I think the team wants it done, I think the agent wants it done -- the only danger zone here is: does it ever get to a point where as much as the Leafs have moved, it doesn't get to a space where they can agree and the Leafs just say you know what we can't go there. And I think, and the Leafs are being super careful about this, but I think they feel they've budged a lot, and now Nylander has to budge a little bit too. And if that happens, this is going to get done. From what I understand now, there is no reason that this contract shouldn't happen. I don't believe William Nylander is lying when he says he wants to be in Toronto and no where else. If I didn't believe that I would say we've got a problem, but I do beleive that, and from what I understand here, there's no reason it shouldn't occur.
