
NHL Network: Insights from Elliotte Friedman on the implications of Auston Matthews’ contract extension for William Nylander’s future.
NHLRumors.com transcription
Bruce Boudreau: “Elliotte, considering the details of Auston Matthews’ recent four-year extension at $13.25 million annually, do you think this will influence the negotiations for Nylander’s contract?”
Elliotte Friedman: “That’s the crucial question, Bruce. It’s certainly on everyone’s minds. We recently interviewed Nylander in Stockholm as part of his promotional tour, which is quite timely since the Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled to play there soon.”
“He handled the situation with great finesse, Bruce. I tried my best to get some information out of him.”
Boudreau: “I can only imagine how that went.”
Friedman: “He expertly sidestepped my inquiries, emphasizing that he feels no urgency to rush into a decision. He stated, ‘I still have the remainder of this season ahead of me. I don’t see any reason to hasten this process, and we can take our time to navigate these discussions.’”
“When I pressed Nylander on whether he was concerned about potentially accepting a lower offer if other players did not, he firmly stated that he wouldn’t even entertain that idea.”
“To respond to your question, Bruce, the number set for Matthews likely aligns with what he expected and what the organization was prepared to offer. Now, we must also consider what this means for (Mitch) Marner, especially with his contract situation looming. Marner is eligible for an extension next year, and we must examine how this impacts both his and Nylander’s financial negotiations.”
“I believe the Maple Leafs will take a cautious approach. They aimed to secure Matthews’ contract first, and now they plan to assess the situation as the season unfolds. Decisions regarding Marner, Nylander, (Tyler) Bertuzzi, (Max) Domi, and (Ilya) Samsonov can be made later this year or even after the season concludes. This strategic wait-and-see approach seems to be Toronto’s plan moving forward.”
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