Toronto Maple Leafs: William Nylander deserves a long-term deal

William Nylander is reportedly seeking a long-term deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the team should give it to him.

According to Sportsnet, William Nylander wants to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the long haul, but is letting the process play out, even if it takes a while.

The 22-year-old Swedish forward is currently a Restricted Free Agent, having completed his three-year entry-level contract, and is expected to get a big pay day after establishing himself as one of the team’s top talents.

In 185 regular season appearances for the Leafs, Nylander has scored 48 goals and registered 135 total points – good for 0.73 points per game.

Along with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, he is considered to be one of the team’s core pieces on offence and has established a strong chemistry with the former.

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Talks on a new contract are ongoing and it is believed the young star is seeking a deal in the $6 – $6.6 million range, much like David Pastrnak and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Nylander’s offensive production sits squarely between these two players, with Ehlers registering 0.69 points pet game while Pastrnak averages 0.8.

With this in mind, a long-term deal should realistically see Nylander earn around $6 – $6.25 million per season.

If Nylander is given a bridge deal, which has also been rumoured, it is likely he will earn less than that but could then push for even more once that deal is up, exceeding the $6 million range he should reasonably receive.

For the Leafs, locking up their top young talent should be the biggest priority this off-season and next, with that core of Matthews, Marner and Nylander set to be highly productive for many years to come.

With Nylander, he has often been played down as the third man in that trio and underappreciated.

If he is given a shorter-term deal, at a lower cost, he will probably demand more once his next contract expires, as he will likely take the next step and prove that he deserves to be paid like a top player.

With Matthews and Marner both expected to receive huge deals next year, the Leafs need to make sure they lock Nylander down for the long-term, ensuring they get him at the cheapest possible deal for the longest possible time.

If Nylander takes a short deal around $4.5 – $5.5 million this time and then expects to be paid $7 million+ next time, it would be counter productive to the Leafs in terms of cap hit.

If they just give him his expected salary this time around and ensure the deal is for more than five years, they will have a top young player signed at a reasonable price and can turn their attentions to securing the rest of their young core next summer.

What do you think Toronto Maple Leafs fans? Should the team give Nylander a long-term deal or make him play a bridge deal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.