Should the Habs sign 2024 UFA William Nylander if they can?

[habsterr]

Don't want an overpaid soft perimeter player.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Nylander would be our most skilled player offensively, but he's also a massive wimp.

 

[Scriptor]

We need offence. It's probably not coming from our prospect pool, chances of trading for another Dach are slim, and the top UFAs aren't lining up to play in Montreal. If Nylander is available and interested, we should pull the trigger on the kind of talented forward we haven't had in ages. Do you think another top forward will be there at the perfect time at the right price? I don't. If we can get him, grab him. Of course there are risks. So what?

If nothing else, just not having Nylander play against the Habs in future playoff games is a win. Is it worth 10M+?

 

[Gustave]

Nylander would be our most skilled player offensively, but he's also a massive wimp.

True

But something has to give, we’ll need to make a move at some point and we aren’t the belle of the ball.

Beggars can’t be choosers

 

[nhlfan9191]

The only thing it does, as per your design, is actually help our young stars to improve, starting with Caufield and Suzuki,if he plays as the RW on their liner Slafkovsky and Dach,if heplayson their line.

We could end up with a top-6 asfollowsif we sign Nylander as an UFA and the advantage to that (or signing another UFA than Nylander with elite skills) is that it costs nothing in terms of player or draft assets:

Caufield - Dach - Nylander
Slafkovsky - Suzuki - Roy

Without knowing, ahead of time, what chemistry could develop, all options would be open:

Slafkovsky - Dach - Nylander
Caufield - Suzuki - Roy

Do you get starstruck every time you see a big name? Nylander will be 28, likely 36 when his next contract expires. You need to start using forward vision when you’re thinking of players. You’re thought process is like Bergevin was. Overexcited and without thought of the future. Same thing with you and Dubois.

 

[NewDef]

I said Yes because he is elite and this kind of player does'nt come up often especially that the fit is perfect for the habs. He'll be going for 10-10.5 and be worth it. Every player of this caliber should be a target and maybe we'll land one. Trying it does'nt mean succeding but only going after Draisatl and failing leaves few options.

Think about that first line we get him... jee...

 

[Gustave]

Do you get starstruck every time you see a big name? Nylander will be 28, likely 36 when his next contract expires. You need to start using forward vision when you’re thinking of players. You’re thought process is like Bergevin was. Overexcited and without thought of the future. Same thing with you and Dubois.

Ok; then riddle me this.

Where is our next wave of apt offensive players? One that will have to propel us towards the summit (which is our common goal here).

There are interesting players in the pipeline for sure , but other Suzuki’s and Caufield’s? I don’t see them. Factor in the development time they’ll need IF we were to draft one this coming draft. IMO we need to mend the gap.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Ok; then riddle me this.

Where is our next wave of apt offensive players? One that will have to propel us towards the summit (which is our common goal here).

There are interesting players in the pipeline for sure , but other Suzuki’s and Caufield’s? I don’t see them. Factor in the development time they’ll need IF we were to draft one this coming draft. IMO we need to mend the gap.

Handing out a crippling over 30 long term contract isn’t the answer to your question. Moving on.

 

[DavePeak]

Nylander rides subway to Maple Leafs game | NHL.com

Nylander rides subway to Maple Leafs game | NHL.com

Toronto forward takes public transportation to Scotiabank Arena

www.nhl.com

Yeah not sure it would work out well for him in Montreal…

“Hey, warmup is about to start, where’s Willy?”
Meanwhile Nylander in the metro…
“Une porte de train bloquée cause un ralentissement sur la ligne orange, entre les stations Côte-Vertu et Montmorency. Ralentissement sur la ligne orange. D’autres messages suivront.”

 

[Lshap]

If nothing else, just not having Nylander play against the Habs in future playoff games is a win. Is it worth 10M+?

Good question. $10M is fair for the player Nylander has become. Assuming we can't draft that talent, we'll need to find it elsewhere... and it'll cost.

Sure there's a potential downside. But the potential upside outweighs it, IMO.

 

[le_sean]

“No thanks, he’s a wimp”

Yeah it’s far better to have guys that aren’t scared like Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Yes , imagine how good this guy will be after two weeks of Montreal tap water .

Flush the loser stench out of your system willy and come to a real hockey town! Do yourself a favor and get out of loserville!!

 

[Sterling Archer]

That curve is irrelevant as it averages over many kinds of players. It's not targeted toward the relevant sample.

The trend is the same reguardless. The players who maintain their play into there 30’s are outliers, not the norm. Eventually they start to slow down around 30, that’s just Father Time. Paying a player the most they’ve ever made on a contract that takes them well into their 30’s is a disaster waiting to happen, particularly for a team that isn’t even competing for a cup and isn’t going to for a while. Nylander will be in his 30’s before the Habs hopefully begin to contend and well on his way to declining.

Hard pass for me.

 

[River Meadow]

Hell no.

 

[Scriptor]

Do you get starstruck every time you see a big name? Nylander will be 28, likely 36 when his next contract expires. You need to start using forward vision when you’re thinking of players. You’re thought process is like Bergevin was. Overexcited and without thought of the future.

WTF are you talking about!?

First of all, because your argument lacks substance, you exaggerate the age of Nylander by the end of his contract. The 7th year of his UFA contract in Montreal would be played as a 34-year old. Odds are much greater than not that he would still be producing at that point.

Secondly, I'm not even excited about Nylander being a Hab. Read the other postsImadeon the subject. I just said that Montreal could afford Nylander and that it wouldn't pose a problem with the team's Cap structure, provided he played at a PPG pace or better and consistently helped Caufield and Suzuki be PPG+ players at the same time.

Thirdly, I said he wasn't worth more than 9M -- and that's only because he's an UFA -- even if Montreal could afford him.

The near-8M salaries for Suzuki and Caufield are with the expectations that they will become 80-point players sometime during the term their 8-year contracts.

Nylander already put up an 80-point season, after being a 60-point player, although that is with Matthews and/or Tavares as C, which is important context.

Lastly, before you start posting with attitude for absolutely no reason, read properly and thoroughly.

Good question. $10M is fair for the player Nylander has become. Assuming we can't draft that talent, we'll need to find it elsewhere... and it'll cost.

Sure there's a potential downside. But the potential upside outweighs it, IMO.

Let's not act like Nylander is the only option of his ilk either. There might be better players available in the upcoming two, three or four years.

The advantage in targeting Nylander is that, for starters, unlike Montreal, Toronto will likely not be able to sign him to 10M+. Nor will many -- if any -- of the good teams some suggest he is more likely to join.

I also like the idea of adding a long term contract right away to help develop the younger players and build their confidence sooner, rather than later.

Obviously, if I could add a C like Pettersson, I'd prefer that. A winger like Keller, I'd prefer that.

However, Nylander is far from chump change and, despite concerns about him being a wimp, he shows up once the playoffs roll around, as his 17goals, 23assists, for 40 points in 50 games suggest.

I just don't like the idea of paying 10M+ for someone who hasn't produced more than Nylander on a stacked offensive team. That's perfect way to screw your Cap structure.

 

[The Real Timo]

Yes but only if he gets a different helmet.

 

[McGees]

Sheeesh - This thread is damn premature lol.

 

[StCaufield]

Yes for 10.50 but he’ll get 13 per

 

[74 others]

One of my favorite players but no, unless he settles for under 9M but it won’t happen. One team will overpay and regret it.

 

[StCaufield]

No. Let other teams give retirement contracts. We’re in a rebuild. We aren’t desperate to compete now.

If you wanna compete you have to go after a big name here and there. If all you bank on is prospects especially ours then you’ll be waiting for a while. Pretty much every winning team makes a splash via trade or FA. Once our D develops more what are they gonna have? Roy?

 

[Chili]

In theory, it would be a fit, player-wise.

He's a RW that is a good playmaker, but also can score. H'ed slide in perfectly next to Caufield and Suzuki. He can also play C and would add injury insurance to our roster.

He'd play through ages 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 on a 7-yr contract as an UFA that doesn't sign with his own team.

We ought to start being competitive as a playoff team with an eye on a long playoff push starting in 2027-2028, in year five from now,including this season, with four years left on Nylander's contract where he would be 31.

I reckon he'd cost at least 10.5M, as noted by another poster, but the Cap should rise to make that equivalent to an 8M-8.5M contract by the time we are angling for a Cup run in 5 years.

That should not be a problem, especially if it helped Suzuki and Caufield produce at levels that would make their own long term contracts look like highway robbery.

If Nylander helps Suzuki and Caufield both be consistent PPG players, nobody, including Caufield and Suzuki would complain about Nylander's salary.

Up and coming prospects, unless they produced at a PPG pace immediately upon arriving, or had that production later on and were imminent UFAs, would still have around Caufield and Suzuki's Cap figure as a long term contract target, IMO.

I'd still target no more than 9M for Nylander, personally, because he doesn't have that 100-point resumé to justify a payment of 10M or more. That would be an overpayment for Montreal, but we could afford it and make it work, I suppose, provided Nylander kept producing at a PPG pace without Tavares or Matthews.

Caufield - Suzuki - Nylander
Slafkovsky - Dach - Roy
Heineman - Monahan - Anderson
RHP- Dvorak - Gallagher

Like you mentioned, in theory. Seems like a no brainer to covet adding a ppg player to a roster that has a hard time remembering who the last one was. Could he be a fit? Possibly.

We spitball about free agents all the time but it seems rare they change teams and have a big impact ala Chara or Hossa (edit: add Sergei Gonchar with Pittsburgh). Those two were perfect fits for the teams they signed with.

Most ufas seem to have a preferred destination. No idea what Willie's would be, I'm sure the Leafs board will be interesting to check out to see how this plays out.

 

[LV426]

Hard pass. Need a player with bigger playoff balls.

He probably won't come here anyways.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Rather wait for other opportunities.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Yes.

Be far and away the most skilled player on the team and likely the most skilled since Kovalev.

 

[JianYang]

Don't want an overpaid soft perimeter player.

He's a good player... Basically he's everything that drouin could have been, but I don't make a splash for wingers except under rare circumstances.... Like a guy who can command the rink like a center even if he's a winger ala hossa.