Nylander, Nurse and Morrissey hoping for longer-term deals
Maple Leafs winger William Nylander has said he wants a long-term contract from Toronto. Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse indicated this week he doesn’t mind if he gets a bridge deal or one that stretches five, six or seven years from Edmonton.
While the Calgary Flames removed one name off the list of restricted free agents when they inked blue liner Noah Hanifin for six seasons Thursday, a number of key young players remain unsigned with training camps to open in less than two weeks.
Along with Nylander and Nurse, Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey still doesn’t have a contract. The same goes for Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart, Anaheim Ducks winger Nick Ritchie, New Jersey Devils winger Miles Wood and Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Shea Theodore.
“Of course I want long-term,” Nylander said back in early August. “That’s what I want to do, but we’ll take it slow, day by day, and see what happens.”
Negotiations between a club and a restricted free agent can be a delicate balancing act. The team wary of overpaying might want a shorter term to get a better read on talent before committing, while the player is often looking for a longer agreement and more security.
But a short-term deal could come back to bite a club if a player exceeds expectations and wants an even richer contract in the next round of negotiations. At the same time, a longer initial deal usually removes some early prime years of a player’s potential unrestricted free agency.
A player might also regret a relatively cheaper long-term deal a few years down the road if he’s locked in and sees others with similar skill levels making significantly more money.
And then there’s the salary cap and what teams can afford now, and what they project the limit will be in the future.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” Nurse said earlier this week when asked about his preference between a long- or short-term contract. “Either way I’ve got a lot to prove still.”
In Nylander’s case, he had 20 goals and 41 assists in 82 games last season for Toronto, including the club’s second-most points at even strength with 49 (15 goals, 34 assists). In 185 career games, the he has 48 goals and 87 assists.
Players and agents no doubt look at what other teams have agreed to with their own young players cut from a similar cloth when in the midst of a negotiation. One comparable for Nylander could be Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, also 22, who signed a seven-year, US$42-million deal last October after a 64-point campaign. His new contract kicks in for 2018-19.