We’re just over two weeks away until December 1st and Toronto Maple Leafs RFA William Nylander is still unsigned. The question now becomes: will he 1) sign with the Leafs, 2) get traded, or 3) not play at all?
Teams have reportedly been kicking tires on the young Swede, with multiple rumours stemming from the Carolina Hurricanes. A team in transition, Nylander would add to a talented young core including Sebastian Aho, Dougie Hamilton and Teuvo Teravainen, to name a few. But according to general manager Don Waddell, the team hasn’t looked too far into it. Waddell revealed on FirstUp1050 that he has not spoken with Nylander’s agent Lewis Gross about a new contract. He also acknowledged that multiple teams have been in contact with Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.
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Signing the 22-year-old would likely require a lengthy investment, as Nylander has acknowledged on numerous occasions his desire to sign a long-term deal. With over $15 million in cap space per Cap Friendly, Carolina appears to be a logical landing spot. Nylander is believed to have reportedly requested a contract with an AAV of up to $8 million.
As the days go by, it seems less and less likely that Toronto will be signing their 2014 first round pick. With John Tavares on the books for $11 million annually over the next seven years and Mitch Marner & Auston Matthews due new deals this summer, keeping Nylander might prove to be too difficult. Keep your eyes locked on this over the next few weeks because things are about to heat up.
(H/T FirstUp1050)
