Auston Matthews sounds off on William Nylander’s uncertain future in Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs got it done with Auston Matthews. On Wednesday, he signed a four-year, $53 million extension that ties him to the team that selected him first overall at the 2016 NHL draft through the 2027-28 season. The contract carries an AAV of $13.25 million, which will make Matthews the league’s highest-paid player beginning in 2024-25, surpassing Colorado Avalanche top forward Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6 AAV. Not the focus shifts to teammate William Nylander, and Matthews commented the ongoing stalemate in his press conference, per Mike Stephens:

“I hope everything works out and I’m sure it will.”

GM Brad Treliving also talked about the negotiations with Nylander, providing an optimistic update on the situation:

“William’s a terrific player. You want to keep your stars. We have time.”

Let’s hope for the Maple Leafs' fanbase that both Matthews and Treliving have the right feeling about all this.

Nylander is reportedly looking for a new contract north of $10M in Toronto, however, it is obvious that the Maple Leafs can’t afford to sign another double-figure deal.

Especially after Matthews’ new contract…

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