Nylander signs 8-year, $92 million contract with Maple Leafs

TORONTO — William Nylander signed an eight-year, $92 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. It has an average annual value of $11.5 million and begins next season.

“This has been home for me, this is the longest I’ve spent in one place in my entire life,” said Nylander, who was born in Calgary. “It was funny the other day. I was talking to a friend, and I said, ‘and then we go home’ and I was referring to Toronto. Without even thinking about it, this is home.”

The 27-year-old forward is playing the final season of a six-year, $41.4 million contract (average annual value $6.9 million) he signed Dec. 1, 2018, and was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent when it expired. He said during the NHL European Player Media Tour in August that he wanted to remain with the Maple Leafs long term and wasn't concerned with entering the final season of his current contract without a new deal.

“It’s been a process from the summertime so it’s nice that it’s done and knowing where I’m going to stay for the next eight years," Nylander said. "It’s a very special feeling.

“In the back of your head [the negotiation] is there, but I was just trying to focus on playing hockey. I think it was a really smooth process from start to finish.”

Nylander leads the Maple Leafs with 54 points in 37 games and his 21 goals are second on the Toronto to Auston Matthews, who has 30. Nylander set NHL career-highs with 40 goals, 47 assists and 87 points in 82 games last season. The No. 8 pick by Toronto in the 2014 NHL Draft has 484 points (198 goals, 286 assists) in 558 NHL games and 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 50 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Nylander’s contract is the second significant signing under general manager Brad Treliving, who replaced Kyle Dubas on May 31; Matthews signed a four-year, $53 million contract ($13.25 million AAV) on Aug. 23.

“It’s important,” Treliving said. “I said when I first got here there are some really good players here, they’re hard to get, they’re hard to keep and when you’ve got them, you try to hold onto them. So, I think it’s a good day for us, a real good day for us, to get him signed. We’re excited to get him signed, a top player in what I believe is just entering the prime of his career.”

Coach Sheldon Keefe said Nylander and Matthews each signing long term speaks to a belief amongst the players that the goal of winning the Stanley Cup can be realized in Toronto, something that hasn’t happened since 1967.

“It’s a great sign that the guys believe in what’s happening,” Keefe said. “The reality is when players of that caliber are reaching free agency status, they’re going to have unlimited options that they can entertain and when they choose to remain here it shows their belief in what we are doing, the believe in the organization, the belief in the city and the motivation to win here.”

Treliving said he Nylander’s strong start to the season did not materially impact the size of the contract.

“I wouldn’t say the price was any cheaper in the summer,” Treliving said. “We got to a point where everybody felt to get a deal done. It’s like any deal, we always want a little less, the player always wants a little more and we find a way to get a deal done. At the end of the day, we got a really good player here who is going to be here for eight more years so we’re happy about it.”

Nylander had 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) during a Maple Leafs-record 17-game point streak to begin this season, a mark previously shared by Frank Mahovlich 1961-62), Lanny McDonald (1976-77) and John Anderson (1982-83). The run reached 17 games when he scored in overtime to help the Maple Leafs defeat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm on Nov. 19 to complete the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden presented by Fastenal.

“It’s great,” defenseman Morgan Rielly said. “He’s a great player, great person and he’s having a great season. He’s earned every penny.”

“That’s just him playing his best hockey at an important time. I don’t think he overthought it, I think he just wanted to go out there and help his team and when he’s out there feeling it and skating and scoring goals and helping his team, that’s a good sign.”

The Maple Leafs (20-10-7) play the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, NBCSCA) in the second of a home-and-home series coming off a 4-1 win in San Jose on Saturday.