It’s November 12 and to pretty much everyone’s surprise, restricted free agent William Nylander is, well, still a restricted free agent.
The 22-year-old has yet to hit the ice this season as he’s awaited to find out his fate with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nylander has until December 1st to sign a contract or he’ll risk sitting out the entire season. With the days counting down, his Maple Leaf teammates addressed the situation including his buddy Mitch Marner, who admitted he’s been missed but understands it’s all just part of the business.
While players have periodically voiced their feelings, one of the more significant opinions came today when Wayne Gretzky addressed the issue on Leafs Lunch. We’re sure most hockey fans agree with what the ‘Great One’ had to say.
Nylander’s contract status was complicated this summer when the Leafs signed all-star John Tavares to the tune of a seven-year, $77 million contract. The Swede has remained adamant about signing long term and it doesn’t help that both Marner and Auston Matthews are both in need of their own new deals.
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Time will tell how everything plays out, but it’s clear that some of his teammates are upset by the situation.
