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Shanahan Calls Out Paranoid Fans Over Nylander Negotiations

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated 12/5/23

For fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs who are worried that William Nylander is playing “too well” this season and pricing himself out of Toronto, Brendan Shanahan has a message for you. Stop worrying about good news. The President of the Maple Leafs suggested that he’d much rather have it be a problem that Nylander is playing well and earning more than the other way around.

Speaking at the Board of Governor’s meetings this week, Shanahan was asked about Nylander negotiations. When it as mentioned that his pending UFA forward is playing so well his value is likely skyrocketing, Shanahan took it in stride. He responded, “If you are getting concerned because you have players on your team playing really good hockey, then you have to really check yourself.”

More focused on how Nylander’s play is helping the Maple Leafs this season, he noted:

“I am not going to talk about the details of that, but the focus for all of us as a group and as individuals is to continue to improve. These close games and tight games can be a benefit to us as we come down [the stretch].”

Maple Leafs Can’t Look the Nylander Gift Horse In the Mouth

Fans will inevitably worry about the fact that a massive season by Nylander could create cap problems down the line. Even with a salary cap increase of around $4 million, the Leafs likely can’t afford to keep everyone. There are a number of pending UFAs on the team, Nylander the highest profile. If he commands more than $10 million per season, they’ll be some tough decisions.

At the end of the day, what would Leafs fans rather have? Do you want Nylander to struggle and score 65-80 points so he’s affordable? If so, how many fans are saying he’s not worth keeping? And, if he scores 110 points, and commands big money, isn’t he worth losing a couple other pieces over?

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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