Waiting on Willy
Tavares believes Nylander will join Maple Leafs for the start of training camp
John Tavares got a glimpse of William Nylander’s skill at informal practices and scrimmages this summer.
With clock ticking down to training camp, Toronto’s new star centre is confident the winger with silky-smooth hands and a bullet shot to match will be there when the Maple Leafs hit the ice for real later this week.
Nylander, a restricted free agent, remains unsigned with players set to report for physicals and testing Thursday before the team travels to Niagara Falls, Ont., to get down to business the following morning.
As of now, the 22-year-old Nylander won’t be making the trip.
“Willy’s obviously a big part of the team and a big part of the future,” Tavares said Monday. “Guys in this situation, it always seems to come down to the wire a little bit. We believe we’re going to have Willy here to start camp.
“Hopefully it can get done very soon and we can get him in.”
Nylander had 20 goals and 41 assists in 82 games in 201718 for Toronto, including the club’s second-most points at even strength with 49 (15 goals, 34 assists).
In 185 career games, he has 48 goals and 87 assists, with back-to-back 61-point seasons.
While the Leafs have more than US$13 million in projected salary cap space, the club still has to sign Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, who can both hit restricted free agency next summer, in the not-toodistant future.
Nylander has said he wants a long-term deal, but a shorter agreement is also an option. It’s something Toronto centre Nazem Kadri knows all about after he inked a two-year contract worth $5.8 million as a restricted free agent on the eve of camp in 2013.
“It’s a little bit stressful — I know in my case it was — and they are very similar,” Kadri said when asked about Nylander’s situation. “I know Willy wants to be here.”
Kadri would then sign a oneyear, $4.1-million contract for 2015-16 before eventually coming to terms on a $27-million package over six seasons that tied him to Toronto through 2021-22.
“It’s not the easiest thing to go through,” Kadri added. “(Nylander’s) a great player, he’s a great teammate.
“We love to have him around.”