LEAFS-NYLANDER IMPASSE MAY HAVE RIPPLE EFFECT
Toronto faces dilemma with new deals pending for Matthews, Marner next season
Mitch Marner isn’t thinking about signing his next contract.
“Not at all,” he said.
That sort of thing is better left up to his agent. Just call him up when the deal is done and there’s something to sign. Until then, his focus is on hockey.
“If there’s any talking, I don’t want to hear too much of it,” said Marner, who is in the final year of his entry-level contract.
His agent has stated negotiations won’t begin until the end of the season.
“I’ll let those two (his agent and Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas) talk about it. Obviously, if it gets there and it gets finished, it will be great for us. It will be awesome to sign that. But I think either side is not trying to pressure one another. We’re just trying to do the best we can this season and then see what happens in the summer.”
And yet, you know Marner and Auston Matthews, whose contract also expires on July 1, are watching how the William Nylander contract negotiations have unfolded and are wondering what their futures hold. In one year, will they be the ones sitting out games? Will they be stuck in contract limbo? Will they be asked to take less money for the so-called good of the team?
That’s the thing to remember in this mess that engulfs Nylander. It’s not a one-off. If anything, it’s a glimpse into what’s to come with two players whose contract extensions could be far messier and more complicated than Nylander’s has already been.
Maybe that’s why both players are trying their hardest to keep it out of their minds.
“That’s why we’ve got agents,” Matthews said. “I keep repeating myself, but let them handle it and I’m not really focused on that. I just want to play hockey. Go from there.”
Neither Matthews nor Marner have reached out to Nylander, who has remained in Sweden while his agent and the Leafs play a game of who will blink first. But he’s definitely on the players’ minds.
The depth of this roster — especially the forwards — makes Nylander, who is coming off back-to-back 61-point seasons, a bit more expendable. At the same time, the Leafs are a much better team with him than without him. And the players know it.
“I think we definitely miss him,” Marner said. “He does a lot for this team, brings a lot to this team, brings a lot of firepower, and obviously he’s a leader in this room. We are missing him. But like I said, it’s his business. I’m sure when he signs, he’ll be ready to go. We are deep up front. We just have to keep playing the way we can until he gets back.”
Added Matthews: “He obviously wants to be in Toronto playing. But it’s the unfortunate business side of sports. Obviously, we hope to get him here as soon as possible. He’s a big part of this team.”
It’s both a blessing and a bit of a curse the Leafs have three star players coming off entry-level contracts at around the same time. It means the team has a core that theoretically should be under club control for years. But it also means Nylander, Matthews and Marner could affect the salary cap in a way that could have serious repercussions.
Years ago, the Edmonton Oilers were in a similar situation when they signed Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall to six- and sevenyear contracts, respectively, with $6-million cap hits in 2012. A year later, they inked Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an identical seven-year contract worth $42-million.
Of those players, only NugentHopkins remains with the team.
That’s what makes Nylander’s contract so important. He’s the first domino to fall and as such is setting the market for the next two players, who are believed to be worth even more.
If the Leafs give him the $8 million he’s reportedly asking for, the price for Marner and Matthews increases. At the same time, Nylander’s camp does not want to accept something in the neighbourhood of $6 million, because it might not be in line with what the other two eventually get.
No wonder it’s taking so long to come to an agreement. And the longer it takes, the more Nylander comes out looking selfish.
“Things take time,” said John Tavares, whose signing in July might have limited what the Leafs can afford to pay their Big 3. “I talked about if I was leaving Long Island, I didn’t want to go somewhere and subtract. Just tried to do what was comfortable for me and the team. No question the other guys are doing the same. But it’s a negotiation.
“Sometimes, there’s some tough moments through it, but I think at the end of the day things will get resolved. I’m looking forward to hopefully having Willie here as soon as we can. No question, there’s always two sides. It’s a negotiation. I think you’re always trying to come to something that’s fair and reasonable. There’s always give and take.”
As for Marner and Matthews, there is still plenty of time to sign their next deals. And yet, with how long the Nylander negotiation has dragged on, it might be prudent to start the process sooner rather than later.
After all, no one wants to see both of them out of the lineup a year from now.
He does a lot for this team, brings a lot to this team, brings a lot of firepower, and obviously he’s a leader in this room. We are missing him