William Nylander is a talented right wing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is 27 years old and has had a successful career so far, but he is still looking to reach his full potential. He is a skilled offensive player with a great shot and the ability to create scoring chances. He is also a good skater and a solid two-way player.
Nylander will earn a significant salary of $6 million in the 2023-2024 season. This comprises of $3.5 million in signing bonuses and $2.5 million in base salary.
The Toronto Maple Leafs recognized Nylander's potential early on, selecting him as the eighth overall pick in the 2014 entry draft. Since then, he has signed two contracts, totaling an impressive value of $50.2 million. This speaks to the team's confidence in his abilities and the value they see in his contributions on the ice.
As the 2023-2024 season approaches, Nylander finds himself at a pivotal point in his career. At the end of this season, when he turns 28 years old, he will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA). This means that William Nylander will have the opportunity to explore other options and potentially negotiate a new contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs or another team.
William Nylander's NHL career and stats
In the 2014 NHL draft, William Nylander was chosen as the eighth overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Initially, he was sent to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he impressed by finishing fifth in scoring at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. During the second half of the 2013-14 season, Nylander showcased his skills with 14 goals and 32 points in 37 games.
Continuing his development, William Nylander excelled in the 2015-16 season, recording 18 goals and 45 points in 38 AHL games. He also contributed six goals and 13 points in 22 games for the Maple Leafs, establishing himself as a key member of the talented NHL team.
William Nylander made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season and achieved impressive performances, accumulating 61 points in each of the next two seasons. Although he faced a contract dispute and missed the first two months of the 2018-19 season, he signed with the Maple Leafs and contributed 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 54 games. Nylander bounced back in the 2019-20 season, achieving a career-high of 31 goals and finishing with 59 points in 68 games.
He isn't the only Nylander in the NHL; his younger brother, Alexander Nylander, is also a forward in the league. Alexander was drafted eighth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL draft and was later traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on July 9, 2019.