Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander remains in Sweden as he and the team continue negotiations on a new contract, and wants to ensure that any new contract he signs with Toronto, helps him take care of himself first and foremost.
“In the end I have to take care of myself and do what I and my agent thinks is right,” Mylander said, according to Aftonbladet, as translated by Sportsnet. “Especially if it’s about several years to come. I need to think long term. It’s my own future it’s about.”
Nylander is focused on landing a long-term deal.
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has stated that he prefers Nylander sign a long-term deal, but the team insists that there is a team-first approach to deals, and that top players take less money to keep the team under the salary cap.
John Tavares did so when he inked a deal with Toronto this summer, taking $11 million annually when he could have pulled in more on the market.
“It wasn’t (Tavares’) responsibility to set a new bar or to please other people with other interests,” team president Brendan Shanahan said, according to Sportsnet. “He’s a hockey player. He wanted to come here and win hockey games. He wanted to be treated fairly and he is. And yes, that is what is we would hope and expect from our players as we go forward.”
“Right now, I do not know more than all the rest of you,” Nylander said, per Aftonbladet. “I have not received any messages and have no contact with Toronto. It’s my agent who takes care of everything.”
