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*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page. ******* The Toronto Maple Leafs and winger William Nylander’s eight-year, $92 million deal will have its share of proponents, who believe that it was wise to lock up one of the NHL’s most talented scorers at the age of 27, but as anyone who has read my columns over the last few years, my take on the situation is that this extension just perpetuates the same scenario and shortcomings that the Leafs have been dealing with since 2018.
What is not in dispute is Nylander’s abilities as a player. The Leafs are gambling that the more consistent and impactful #88 of the last 15 months is what they will be getting for most of the next eight seasons, but his contract at an AAV of $11.5 million starting next season will come at the cost of some other areas of the club.
"I know how hard it is to get talent,… Leafs GM Brad Treliving said after the deal was consummated on Monday. “Every dollar matters because we live in a cap world. So, you folks can all debate it — and I'm sure it will be hotly debated — but at the end of the day, when you can get a top player signed, it's a good day."
Going into the 2024-25 season, the Leafs will have $54.15 million allocated towards five players in Auston Matthews, Nylander, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly. All five have no movement clauses, which means they have complete control over whether they are open to leaving Toronto or not.
Those who think that Tavares would waive his no-movement clause in the final year of his deal, the answer to that was clear after the second-round loss to Florida when the Leafs captain was asked that question and the fact he was at training camp in September. It is very possible that Tavares will take a lesser deal next July when he is eligible to sign an extension, but that will not help their cap crunch in 2024.
Ok…..maybe they will trade Marner. Again, he has a no-movement clause and if he does not want to go anywhere, he’s not going anywhere. Marner will be eligible for an extension next July, and if the Leafs play hardball with him like they didn’t do with Matthews and Nylander, then it is possible that he would be open to going someplace else where he could get his payday.
Holding Treliving to his words that is tough to find talent, you would think that he would do his damnedest to extend Marner, but if Marner wants to be paid as much or more than Nylander (who is the second-highest-paid winger in the NHL behind Artemi Panarin), how can the Leafs add the reinforcements on defense and in goal that are necessary to make them a more legitimate Stanley Cup contender?
We will take a look at this over the next couple of days, but suffice it to say the Leafs are going to have to cut corners in other places to make things work. That means signing multiple bargain free agents or veterans like Mark Giordano willing to take less to play in Toronto or to promote a number of younger players from the AHL on entry-level deals to balance things out.
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The Leafs take on the San Jose Sharks in the back end of a home-and-home series at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday. Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that there may be some lineup changes due to illness continuing to work its way through the locker room. Noah Gregor did not take part in the optional morning skate on Tuesday and Nick Robertson may get back in the lineup.
Keefe indicated that Martin Jones will make his fifth straight start for the Leafs. *******
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