How does William Nylander's new contract compare to that of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner? Have the Maple Leafs made the right call?

By Ryan Gagne

Modified Jan 08, 2024 17:54 GMT

On Monday morning, William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed on a new contract, paying the Calgary-born Swedish native $92 million over the next eight seasons.

Additionally, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the new contract will include a full no-movement clause, meaning he will spend the better part of the next decade in blue and white.

This new agreement will be the largest total value contract for the Maple Leafs in their 106-year history, who just handed out the largest yearly contract ($13.2 million) to NHL All-Star Auston Matthews.

Now that the Original Six franchise, still chasing their first championship since 1967, have their two core players locked up, they will turn their focus to Mitch Marner and captain John Tavares, who are set to become unrestricted free agents after 2024-25.

Even though the NHL salary cap is increasing, can the Maple Leafs keep the band together and have enough money for everyone else while fielding a competitive team in a competitive Eastern Conference?

Extending William Nylander was necessary, but does this new deal handcuff the Maple Leafs?

Before the puck dropped on the 2023-24 season, the Maple Leafs turned Matthews into the highest player in the NHL while not simultaneously inking Nylander to a new deal. After a career year of 87 points in 2022-23, the pending free agent came into the new season with much uncertainty about his future.

Then, Nylander erupted for a historic 17-game point streak to begin the year and remains a top-five scorer in the league. Ultimately, after playing his best hockey last year, he's found a new level this season and got handsomely rewarded for his efforts.

William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs

However, by making Nylander the highest-paid player in team history, his new deal will have ripple effects throughout the lineup, starting with Marner.

Despite being on pace to net 100 points this year, as mentioned, Nylander's career high is just 87 points, while Marner tallied a personal best 99 points in 2022-23. Furthermore, Marner is a two-time All-Star with three seasons of over 90 points, ranking as one of the best assist men in the NHL.

Considering that he is currently making $10.9 million, has his performance over the past three seasons warranted an extension with a salary increase? If the Maple Leafs will reward a one-time 40-goal scorer with a contract that starts at $11 million, where does Marner's extension start, who routinely hovers around 95 points a year?

For perspective, Matthews will make $13.2 million and is a five-time 40-goal scorer whose career high is 60 goals in 2021-22. Additionally, he's a former Hart Trophy winner and now a five-time NHL All-Star. As Toronto's best skater, making him the highest-paid makes sense.

However, when Matthews and Nylander's new deals kick in on July 1, 2024, their new salaries will account for 28% of the projected $87.7 million salary cap. Then, when we factor in Marner (13.1%) and Tavares (13.2%), the core four will make up 58% of the Maple Leafs payroll in 2024-25.

Although all four players combined for 351 points last year and have 173 points in 37 games so far this season, Toronto has won a single playoff series in the past decade.

Morgan Reilly, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander

Ultimately, committing to only a few players will prohibit the Maple Leafs from acquiring an elite number-one goalie and restructuring their defensive pairings with five skaters set to become free agents at season's end.

Meanwhile, outside of the core four, Toronto will need to fill out the remaining three forward lines and won't win the Stanley Cup if they ask rookies or players on league minimum salaries to anchor down the remaining roster positions.

Of course, Maple Leafs fans will love and hate this new deal. In contrast, others in the hockey community will worry about what their star players will demand for salaries after this recent announcement.

Overall, Nylander earned a raise over the $6.9 million he is currently making. However, handing him an eight-figure salary when he's never been the best player of the core four is a curious decision. Ultimately, the team and the player are committed to each other, and hopefully, the partnership leads to a much-needed championship.