Nylander's Condition to Negotiate During Season Suggests He Has Specific Number in Mind

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TJ Tucker
October 6, 2023 (11:01)

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A condition given to the Toronto Maple Leafs and his agent suggests William Nylander knows exactly the number he wants on his next deal, and won't take any less. In a new interview, Nylander told The Athletic he's given his agent the go ahead to negotiate during the regular season, something he did not do last time around, but he doesn't want to hear a word about it until a deal is reached.

"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." - Jonas Siegel, The Athletic

Nylander added he insisted it be done this way as we wants his focus to remain on what's happening in the ice. During his last negotiations with the Leafs that led to the contract that runs out at the end of this season, Nylander wouldn't allow in-season negotiations to take place at all.

"Just focusing on playing. I don't remember what I was thinking at that point." - William Nylander

So what's the number that Nylander has in mind for his next deal? That's hard to say, but you can bet he wants closer to what Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are currently making, if not the same. Allowing negotiations to take place during the season is a big advantage for Toronto, as Nylander will become a free agent on July 1st if a new contract isn't finalized.