Nylander's bet paying off as contract talks with Maple Leafs heat up

LOS ANGELES — William Nylander keeps reminding the Toronto Maple Leafs how important he is to the team's success.

This should make his reportedly imminent whopper of a contract extension a little more digestible for the executives cutting those eight-figure cheques and a diehard fan base who studies salary-cap charts closer than box scores.

A few hours prior to Nylander's two-goal, six-shot performance Tuesday in the Maple Leafs' clean 3-0 road win over the Los Angeles Kings, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reported that 2024's most coveted impending unrestricted free agent had been engaged in positive negotiations with GM Brad Treliving.

In the works is the blueprint for an eight-year deal that would net the stud winger approximately $11.25 million annually and about $90 million in total — the same AAV that Nylander's friend, winger David Pastrnak, netted from Boston early in 2023 before his own bargain deal expired.

Elliotte Friedman added that the paperwork on a Nylander extension could be completed as early as this week, and that the team would prefer to take care of its top business priority before hosting the All-Star Game in February.

When informed of the report postgame and asked how negotiations were coming along, a shirtless Nylander smiled and chuckled: "Like I said, I'm not going to answer any questions on that."

Both sides have always desired a recommitment. 

Negotiations have centred around offering Nylander a number that works for he and agent Lewis Gross. If that figure indeed begins with an 11, well, the Leafs will have blinked first. (The reported ask began with a 10 over the summer.)

And Nylander would have forced them to with his superb and consistent performance this season, picking right where he left off from his 40-goal 2022-23 and his excellent showing in the 2023 postseason.

Nylander has recorded at least one point in 31 of 35 games. His 50 points lead the Leafs in scoring, and the only players more productive in 2023-24 are MVP candidates: Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Artemi Panarin. End of list.

Today's poster boy for a contract-year bump, Nylander is on pace for 45 goals and 117 points — both career highs — and he's rounded out his two-way game by becoming a growing contributor to Toronto's penalty kill (his two shorthanded strikes also lead the team).

Among the NHL's highest-paid wingers, the $11.25-million estimated cap hit would place Nylander under Panarin ($11.64 million), right with Pastrnak, and above the underperforming Jonathan Huberdeau ($10.5 million) and Johnny Gaudreau ($9.75 million).

Such a payday would also raise questions about how Treliving can properly compensate fellow winger Mitch Marner, whose $10.9 million rate ends in 2025, when it's his turn for UFA status. (But that will be a column for another day.)

Yes, Nylander has raised his own price, but the Leafs can ill afford to let a star of his magnitude walk away in his prime.

And if Nylander wants a windfall in the $88 to $90-million range, he'll have a more difficult time getting it from another team as competitive as this one.

For the cash-flush Maple Leafs have never been afraid to frontload deals with core players and juice their signing bonuses. Plus, Toronto is the one team that can lessen Nylander's cap hit slightly by spreading the total sum over eight years as opposed to seven.

Nothing's official yet, but it certainly feels like Nylander's bet on himself is going to pay off.

Fox's Fast Five

• Keefe will consult with goalie coach Curtis Sanford, Treliving and Martin Jones before making a call on Wednesday's starting goalie in Anaheim.

Jones said he feels good to play in both halves of the back-to-back, despite the 20-hour turnaround, noting that most of the Kings' chances were straight on. Side-to-side plays are more taxing.

"He's been great every game, but today was something special," Järnkrok said.

• David Kämpf responded well to Saturday's surprise healthy scratch, which snapped his streak of appearing in 323 consecutive games — as noted by his wife Eliska on Instagram.

Keefe demanded urgency from his fourth-line centre, saying that some of his early-season mistakes resurfaced during the post-Christmas loss in Columbus.

"We need him to really take charge of that role and take charge of that line," Keefe said. "He is a very, very important player for us. We need him to be better, and he will be."

Kämpf's line tilted the ice in L.A., generating 69 per cent of the shot attempts, and Toronto's PK went a perfect 3-for-3.

"I felt comfortable putting 'em out there against anybody," Keefe said. "Kämpfer gave us tonight what I expect from him, and I thought his linemates followed."

• Their offence is dry, but the defensively-minded Kings have successfully killed off 65 of their last 73 penalties and continue to build upon their league-leading PK (87 per cent). 

Factor in their shorthanded goals, and L.A.'s net penalty-kill percentage is an impressive 92.6 per cent.

• Auston Matthews was named the NHL's Second Star for the month of December. His 15 goals in 12 games last month were four more than any other player.

"Sky's the limit," Morgan Rielly says. "He's an extremely special player."

• Tyler Bertuzzi was excellent Tuesday, contributing a pair of beautiful primary assists, and delivering a dogged effort on the forecheck. 

He was wearing both gloves for only one of his helpers, making a barehanded pass to set up Järnkrok. That was a first for him.

"Yeah, I saw he lost it right at the faceoff," Järnkrok said. "He's Crazy Bert."

Added Keefe: "If there was ever a guy that was going to make a play looking a little bit odd with one glove on, he'd be my pick. Stays in the battle. Makes the play."