Lets Flash back to the last Nylander talks.
Rumor: William Nylander has rejected a massive contract offer from the Maple Leafs.
Nylander rejects a major offer from Toronto.
The contract battle between the Toronto Maple Leafs and restricted free agent forward
William Nylander has seemingly reached a fever pitch over the week end and there may be a very good reason behind the sudden shift.
On Saturday night Sportsnet National Hockey League insider
Elliotte Friedman revealed during the "Headlines" segment on Hockey Night in Canada that the Toronto Maple Leafs and general manager
Kyle Dubas were, for the first time since this contract dispute began, seriously contemplating trade offers from rival NHL teams when it comes to William Nylander.
“They’re at a point where they’re beginning to test the market,” Elliotte Friedman said as per Sportsnet. “Word is that they have asked teams to inform them who teams or interested parties would not be willing to move and also to begin to preparing formal offers for the unsigned Toronto winger.”
The sudden shift in philosophy from Kyle Dubas and the rest of the Toronto Maple Leafs' front office is an indication that they now truly have some doubts about their ability to get Nylander signed to a number that they are comfortable with.
Michael Nylander, William's father, has reportedly been a major impediment to getting this deal done and there has been rampant speculation that it is Michael who has insisted that his son not budge an inch from his initial demands. Those demands are believed to be upwards of
$8 million per season on a new deal for William Nylander, and if rumors regarding a contract offer made this week by the Maple Leafs are true, the rumors regarding Michael may very well be true as well.
.......
What's particularly interesting is that Johnston does not seem to be ruling out the possibility that the Maple Leafs could simply choose to hold on to his right beyond Dec 1st and force Nylander to miss an entire season of his professional career due to the fact that they have full control of those rights until the young Swede will turn 27. Now that may not sounds too bad until you realize that Nylander is currently only 22 years of age which means that the Leafs could effectively prevent him from playing in the NHL for the next 5 years, something they clearly don't want to do
but it appears that paying him $8 million or more per season is also something they don't want to do.
This one may be on the verge of getting very ugly.
Full Story:
Rumor: William Nylander has rejected a massive contract offer from the Maple Leafs.