Toronto Maple Leafs: William Nylander negotiations near crucial stage

William Nylander has made it clear to the Toronto Maple Leafs he wants a long-term deal, as opposed to a bridge contract, but how will negotiations play out?

It seems unfathomable to think William Nylander will enter training camp without a new deal in place. And yet here we are just six weeks away from Toronto Maple Leafs players reporting for medicals, and he remains unsigned.

General manager Kyle Dubas said last month that the signing of John Tavares didn’t change anything. He remained confident he would re-sign his trio of young stars, i.e. Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.

Of course, while this confidence is perfectly reasonable, it does not mean Dubas’ aim will be straightforward. There are so many moving parts to consider, which will impact the eventual outcome.

For the majority of Leafs Nation, Matthews is understandably their main concern. Get him signed and then worry about his two teammates.

However, even though talks have begun on a long-term extension for the superstar centre, the negotiation process is anticipated to be a drawn-out affair. Which brings us back to Nylander.

As most Leafs fans are well aware, Nylander is the only one of the three young starts who is a restricted free agent. As such, the argument can be made that he should be the team’s main priority at this juncture.

However, as with the Matthews situation, Nylander’s contract negotiations are not expected to be smooth sailing either. Consider recent reported comments from the player himself on Wednesday.

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As per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, the 2014 eighth overall draft pick has stressed he wants to sign a long-term deal, rather than a bridge contract. And while this is an obvious thing for a player to say, you still have to wonder what impact this will have on talks?

It theoretically helps that Nylander has indicated his preference to stay in Toronto. But at the same time, he won’t sell himself short on what he believes his value is, while also looking for some security.

So what path with the Leafs take with the 22-year-old? You can argue that signing him to a bridge deal would help them come to a short-term solution, to then be able to concentrate on Matthews and Marner.

However, the emphasis is on “short-term”, as any bridge deal would only be for two years. Apart from Nylander saying he doesn’t want to agree to such a contract, could this in turn negatively impact his desire to remain in Southern Ontario long-term?

Would the Calgary, Alberta native feel he is less important to the organisation, compared to his two teammates? Regardless of how justified this mindset would be — after all, even he must realise Matthews is more important to the team — most professional athletes have an ego/pride.

Of course, even if the Leafs do attempt to negotiate a long-term deal now, there is still no guarantee Nylander will agree to it. Again, it comes down to pride and how much he believes he is worth.

In addition, will the Swedish international be able to look at the bigger picture, i.e. staying with a team poised to be a genuine contender for years to come. Will he accept a long-term deal but at slightly below what he believes he is worth, in order to remain in Toronto and challenge for the Stanley Cup every season?

Ultimately, we can ask as many questions or consider as many different angles as we like. But it will bring us no closer to an answer at this stage of the proceedings.

All we do know is that in an ideal world, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nylander want to remain united for the long-term. However, there is no such thing as an ideal world in the NHL, especially when you factor in the challenges of the salary cap.

How do you predict negotiations will play out between Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs? Will he sign a long-term deal or a bridge contract. Or is it conceivable he will remain unsigned when training camp begins? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.