Nylander finally signs with Leafs

Some of William Nylander’s teammates arrived at the arena early before their Saturday night game against the Minnesota Wild, eagerly anticipating news of a contract extension that would bring the star forward back to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup.

When coach Mike Babcock told them Nylander had signed a six-year deal, they were thrilled. Then they got their cell phones out.

“Babs popped out of the office and said we signed him,” Mitch Marner said after Toronto’s 5-3 win in St. Paul. “Of course everyone nowadays just goes right to a phone, so about 20 of us go over, grab our phones. The next thing you know, you see the signing.

“We’re all really excited about it. We can’t wait to get him back in Toronto.”

Nylander, a restricted free agent, signed moments before the 5 p.m. ET deadline Saturday, inking a deal that will pay him an average annual value of US$6.9 million, and allow him to play the rest of the season.

His entry-level contract had expired July 1 and negotiations stretched through the summer and into the season, ultimately forcing the 22-year-old winger to miss a third of the 2018-19 campaign.

“It’s great. It’s great news. We hope to get him here as soon as possible,” said star centre Auston Matthews. “He’s a big part of this team. Hopefully he gets us on a run here, get in a couple practices.

“It’s the same thing coming back from injury — you need a couple games to kind of get going but I’m sure he’s been skating quite a bit and he’s excited to get back with his teammates and start playing some hockey games.”