Nylander deal went to the wire

If William Nylander ever decides to give up his hockey career he might consider a move to Las Vegas.

“I haven’t played that much poker but maybe I should give it a try,” said Nylander with a laugh on Monday night, two days after the 22year-old winger re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending a months-long contract holdout that sometimes resembled a highstakes game of Texas hold ‘em.

Nylander and Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas agreed to a US$6.9 million six-year deal less than an hour before Saturday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. Dubas filed the official paperwork with the NHL and players’ association with minutes to spare, officially ending the impasse.

“If I’m sitting here right now saying that with 45 minutes left and he’s not signed that I had no concern, then I’m a liar,” said Dubas, laughing. “Yes, there was concern.”

Nylander’s entry-level contract expired on July 1 and negotiations stretched through the summer and into the season, ultimately forcing him to miss a third of Toronto’s 2018-19 campaign. Although the two sides had been in regular contact, things didn’t get moving until the 11th hour when Nylander called Dubas to get a deal done.

“It was getting into the last 40 minutes before the deadline and I was talking to my agent and I said ‘let’s just call him,’ and I think that phone call really got everything done,” said Nylander.

Nylander is coming off back-to-back 61point seasons, including 20 goals and 41 assists in 2017-18. The Calgary-born Swede has 48 goals and 87 assists for 135 points in 185 career games. He also has two goals and six assists in 13 post-season appearances.

Coming into this season, he was considered a top-six forward for the Maple Leafs. But Toronto has thrived without him, compiling a 19-8-0 record that puts it near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.