SAN JOSE — In typical William Nylander fashion, he didn’t use words to confirm Elliotte Friedman’s report that he is nearing an eight-year contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs at an average annual value in the ballpark of $11.5 million.
He used his smile and a giggle instead.
Is he close to signing?
“We’ll see,” Nylander replied Saturday night in San Jose, flashing a grin as wide as a novelty cheque.
And if the deal were to be completed, perhaps before the Leafs’ next game?
“That would be a dream to stay here. I mean, to play for such an organization, and I call Toronto home. So, I think that’d be a very special feeling,” Nylander said.
The feels have been special around the smooth-skating winger all season long, and Nylander’s two-goal, three-point star turn in Toronto’s cruisy 4-1 victory over the hapless San Jose Sharks was just another night at the office. He got the belt.
Attempts to get Nylander to identify a difference between his slam-dunk contract campaign — which has him on pace to smash career highs in goals (on pace for 47) and points (120) — are quickly stifled.
The player reminds that no flip was switched. He insists there is no fresh motivation driving his dominance. Rather, the 27-year-old sees his increased production, ice time, and penalty-kill usage all as part of a continued evolution.
“Just building off what I did the year before and the year before that. I mean, getting older and more mature as a player. I think everything is just coming together and becoming the player that I’m capable of being,” Nylander said.
“I think it was there last year, too. I mean, I had a little stint for 10, 15 games where I wasn’t playing well. For the majority part of that season, I think I’ve been playing the same way as I have been this year.”
This year, Nylander’s offensive consistency is second to none, having registered at least a point in 33 of 37 games played. Throw a dart at Nylander’s game log, and there’s a better chance you’ll hit a three-point effort (he’s got five) than a zero-point night (four).
“Willy’s unflappable,” said coach Sheldon Keefe, who has long pushed for and believed in the player’s elevation.
“He doesn’t get too concerned with anything that’s going outside of what his responsibilities are on the ice. And that’s what I really like about him. He just goes out and plays. And he wants to continue to get better. He’s been working on his game, working to find his own consistency over the last number of years. He took a huge step last season and hasn’t looked back.”
Brad Treliving won’t wish to look back, either.
Back in the summer, multiple reports had Nylander’s ask on a long-term extension in the range of $10 million per season.
Armed with a partial no-trade clause and an abundance of self-belief, Nylander only escalated his price through his performance.
An $11.5-million salary would leap him over Boston’s David Pastrnak ($11.25 million) and slot him below only New York’s Artemi Panarin ($11.64 million) among the NHL’s highest-paid wingers.
Nylander and his agent, Lewis Gross, started this grind of a negotiation with leverage and kept picking up more as time dragged on.
Treliving was staring at a giant snowball screaming downhill. Without benefit of a time machine, what choice did he have at this point?
Let a phenomenal talent walk out the door in his prime? Tell Auston Matthews, who already re-upped, that the Leafs don’t want to retain the best potential UFA available? Call Nylander’s bluff and continue to quibble over a few hundred thousand?
Perhaps.
But having been so recently burned by Gross and the Johnny Gaudreau saga in Calgary, it’s understandable that Treliving didn’t want the uncertainty to linger.
And it’s clear that Nylander was confident enough to stand his ground.
So, what would it mean to the rest of the Maple Leafs to know Nylander is locked up?
“That’d be great. Obviously, he’s a hell of a player, special to this team,” Mitch Marner said.
“He’s a big part of the team, and he’s had a great year for us.”
According to that money grin, it appears Toronto is banking on eight more great years.
Fox’s Fast Five
• Shark-turned-Leaf Noah Gregor reflects on his days in San Jose: “The hockey kinda was what it was through those four years. We weren’t the best team in the standings-wise, but we always worked hard … I really enjoyed my time.
“I developed well there. I think they’ve had some guys come through that have developed into really good players. Me and [Mario] Ferraro, we came up together. He’s translated into a good player. [William] Eklund, he’s doing a great job. Guys have developed, but it can be tricky at times. If you want to put players into a situation where they’re going to be losing or if you just want to keep them developing in the minors, it’s a difficult situation.”
• Not only does Matthews lead the NHL in goals (30), he tops all skaters in posts and crossbars pinged (11).
• Keefe continues to ride veteran goalie Martin Jones, resisting any temptation to ease prospect Dennis Hildeby into the show against a weak opponent like Anaheim or San Jose.
“Jones is in a good place right now, and the schedule is in our favour as it relates to keeping him going,” Keefe explains.
The steady Jones allowed just two goals total and backstopped the Leafs to three wins in California, his old stomping ground.
Says Marner: “Jonesy’s come in and done a great job calming everyone down and being just a brick in that net.”
• Losers of 11 consecutive games in regulation, the Sharks are locked-in deadline sellers. But the value of their wares is questionable at best. GM Mike Grier will likely need to retain salary on some players to move them.
Kevin Labanc is a $4.725-million cap hit who makes $5.875 million in real money this season. He has one goal and is toiling away on the fourth line.
Veteran D-man Marc-Edouard Vlasic is 36 and has two seasons beyond this one at a $7-million hit. He was scratched Saturday.
So much heavy lifting to get this organization back on track.
• Calle Järnkrok now has nine seasons in which he’s scored at least 10 goals. He’s quietly carved out a nice career for himself as a middle-six role player.
