William Nylander’s future with Maple Leafs reportedly revealed

The 2022-23 season is officially over and eyes turned back to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who did not have the expected long playoff run this spring and could undergo important changes this summer under new GM Brad Treliving.

For weeks now, we’ve heard about the possibility to the Core Four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and captain John Tavares being dismantled in order to acquire a No. 1 defenseman or a power forward.

However, it sounds like the Maple Leafs could opt to keep the Core Four together as reports emerged that the narrative is causing some unease within the team. Darren Dreger then explained on Leafs Lunch that the trade percentages for Nylander appear to be low. The insider revealed how the Leafs prefer to keep the group intact rather than explore trades.

“I think the percentages are low that he gets traded (before start of next season), the better option, the option that the Leafs prefer is to keep that group together, but they’re going to have to get creative on how they work the math ..”

Dreger’s reports echoes with a recent take by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who believes the idea should not be to break up the group but to seek a new identity for the 19 other players around the Core Four.

In his press conference when he was hired, Treliving already mentioned the importance of giving equal attention to all 23 players who suit up for the team each night.

Chris Johnston speculated on Leafs Lunch about Nylander’s potential next contract in Toronto.

“I don’t know what the number is but I think it’s probably somewhere with a 9 on it to sign him long-term. Like that might sound like a lot to some, remember he’s basically making $7 million right now with one more season, which is the last of his current contract where the cap is going to be flat, and the cap is going to jump a fair bit so and once the cap jumps, we’ll have a better view of what a $9 million player is.”

As the Maple Leafs move forward, it will be interesting to what happens to Nylander and the rest of the Core Four. But for now, it sounds like the future will take place in Toronto for Nylander and the rest.

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