Leafs’ bonus babies one goal shy of maxing out
After a two-goal performance on Monday against Buffalo, William Nylander had 19 goals through 80 games. He was asked if he would like to get to 20.
“It would be nice, but I think 20 is just a number,” Nylander said.
It’s a lucrative number, worth $212,500 to the player on the final year of his three-year entry-level contract.
Only players on entry-level deals have performance bonuses. Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews — both in the second year of their deals — have already hit enough personal numbers to each cash in $850,000 in performance bonuses, according to Dominik Zier, who operates the salary-watching website CapFriendly.com. That’s the most allowed in bonuses listed under Schedule A in the collective bargaining agreement.
Nylander has hit three of his bonuses, for $637,500 beyond his regular pay of $832,500 this season. He’s a restricted free agent July 1 and will be due a raise.
The Leafs, who took Tuesday off, might not have much left to play for with two games left and their slot in the post-season assured.
But it would come as no surprise if Matthews and Zach Hyman continued to feed Nylander the puck to help their linemate cash in.
The group has been on fire lately. Matthews has five goals and five assists in the seven games he has been back from a shoulder injury; Nylander has four goals and three assists. The chemistry is obvious.
“I feel like we’ve had that since we started playing with each other last year and especially with Hyman as well,” Matthews said. “The more you play with somebody, obviously, you build more chemistry and get to know them and have a feel for where they’re going to be in certain areas.”
The weird part of their chemistry is that it hasn’t worked on the power play. Matthews and Nylander each have only four goals with the extra man. The other unit has been far more effective.
But against Buffalo, Matthews’ unit came alive with two power-play goals, both by Matthews.
“The (Matthews) group didn’t have much puck speed and were frustrated and in their own way,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “Now their puck speed is way up and they seem to have it going and have got confidence. Good for us, obviously.”
Matthews hopes that’s a harbinger of good things to come.
“I think the last, maybe, three, four, five games we’ve had some good opportunities and scored some goals just being simple and getting the puck to the net,” Matthews said. “It always gives you some confidence.”
Having both power-play units scoring would indeed be a bonus.
As for performance bonuses, the money is significant to the players, but it is also matters to the team. Whatever bonus money those three players earn this year will count against Toronto’s cap next season.
The Leafs are at $2,337,500 and on their way to $2.55 million if Nylander scores one more goal.