William Nylander bet on himself and won.
The 27-year-old has agreed to an eight-year, $92-million (U.S.) contract extension with the Maple Leafs, forgoing his opportunity to hit free agency this summer to instead stick with the only NHL team he's known.
“It's nice that it's done. I know where I'm going to stay for the next eight years," Nylander said after practice Monday, shortly after the deal was announced. "It's a very special feeling. This has been home for me. This is the longest I've ever spent in one place in my entire life.”
It's also the single largest contract in franchise history. The contract has a full no-movement clause for the entire duration of the deal.
“It's my own choice, I wanted to be here,” said Nylander.
The deal includes $69 million in signing bonus money, roughly 75 per cent of the $92 million, spread out over the eight years. The amount he takes home varies year by year, but starts at $13.5 million in the first year, $10 million of which is bonus, down to $9 million in the final year, $8 million of which is bonus. Deals heavy in signing bonus money are typically considered buyout proof, since only the base salary is subject to the buyout equation, meaning the team saves very little cap space by buying out such a contract.
Toronto Star contributor and Sportsnet personality Nick Kypreos was the first to report a deal was close.
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The deal follows Auston Matthews's summertime extension, a four-year deal worth $13.25 million annually that kicks in next season.
“It's huge as a player to feel that they are really investing in the core and betting on us,” said Nylander. “I think that we feel the same way. That's ultimately why I wanted to stay for eight years. I wanted to give it a run to try to win the Cup.”
The deal ensures the Core Four will be together for at least one more season, but puts the focus on the futures of both captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner. Both will be eligible for extensions of their own on July 1.
If nothing else, Nylander's bet on himself has worked.
He could have signed an extension as early as last July 1. By not doing so he risked injury, or getting off to a down season. Instead, the bet paid off.
Nylander at times this season has been the Leafs' best player. He leads the team in points with 54 and has had multiple scoring streaks. He's failed to record a point in only four games this season. And he's more well-rounded, killing penalties more often than he has in the past.
He hit career highs last season across the board in goals (40), assists (47) and points (87). He is on track to surpass those numbers this season, and is tied for fifth in the league in points with Connor McDavid after Sunday's games.
"I know how hard it is to get talent .... Every dollar matters because we live in a cap world," Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said. "At the end of the day, when you can get a top player signed, it's a good day.
“When you have the starting point of a player that wants to be here and a team that wants to keep him, usually you can find a way to get it done. It's a big contract. It's a lot of money. I don't know if there was ever an aha moment. But I don't think there was ever a time where we felt we weren't going to get to the finish line.”
There was talk in the summer that Nylander's camp was asking for less, but the Leafs balked at paying more than $10 million. Treliving said that was not the case.
“I'm not going to go right through it all,” said Treliving. “I wouldn't say the price was any cheaper in the summer. It's like any deal, we always want a little less. The player always wants a little more. We found a way to get a deal done. At the end of the day, we got a really good player who's going to be here for eight more years. We're happy about it.”
The Leafs now have $65.7 million of an expected $87.7 million salary cap committed to nine forwards, three defencemen and two goalies next season.
Those not signed and heading towards unrestricted free agency include T.J. Brodie, Martin Jones, Ilya Samsonov, Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Bobby McMann, Mark Giordano and William Lagesson.
Those heading towards restricted free agency include Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, Noah Gregor, Timothy Liljegren and Simon Benoit.
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