NHL insider believes William Nylander has "clear number" in mind for next Maple Leafs contract

As the Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice for their training camp, the question on fans' minds was whether star player William Nylander would once again choose to keep contract negotiations out of the regular season. In 2017, Nylander made the decision not to negotiate his second NHL contract with the team during the season, resulting in a lengthy contract dispute that lingered on, becoming one of the longest in the salary cap era.

However, during a recent conversation with Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Nylander provided some clarity on his stance this time around. He stated that negotiations with the Leafs could continue throughout the season but emphasized his preference not to be distracted by the day-to-day developments until both parties are at the finish line. Siegel wrote,

"It won’t be like last time. Nylander says he’s told his agent, Lewis Gross, that he can continue to negotiate with the Leafs throughout the season. He just doesn’t want to hear about it until Gross and the Leafs are at the finish line. That would seem to suggest that Nylander has a clear number in mind for his next contract and won’t even contemplate a deal until the Leafs get there."

This decision indicates that Nylander may have a specific contract figure in mind for his next deal, and he is willing to patiently wait until the Leafs align with his expectations.

Nylander became eligible to sign an extension with the Leafs on July 1, and initial talks began during the NHL Draft in Nashville. However, unlike his teammate Auston Matthews, who inked a four-year extension in late August, Nylander entered training camp without a new agreement in place. Since this summer, discussions surrounding his contract have seemingly gone quiet.

William Nylander's evolving contract negotiation strategy

Reflecting on why he chose to forgo in-season negotiations during his previous contract talks, Nylander couldn't recall the exact reason but suggested it was likely to minimize distractions and concentrate on his on-ice performance.

"Just focusing on playing. I don’t remember what I was thinking at that point," Nylander said.

The backdrop to Nylander's earlier contract dispute featured a different Leafs front office, with Lou Lamoriello at the helm. Lamoriello was known for advocating the use of time to secure the best deal possible. However, when negotiations failed to yield an agreement ahead of the 2017-18 season, Nylander requested that talks be put on hold. The resolution finally came on the first day of December, just hours before Nylander would have become ineligible to play that season, resulting in a six-year contract worth $45 million.

Now, as Nylander enters the final year of that contract, he appears to be approaching negotiations with a more focused and patient mindset.