Shanahan’s Logic: Embrace Nylander’s Record-Breaking Season

By the time Nylander’s streak had ended, he had put up 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists). That far surpassed the franchise record to begin a season. He was close to keeping it going, and he would have become the sixth player in NHL history with a season-opening point streak of at least 18 games had he not hit the crossbar and the post on a breakaway with 2:11 left in overtime. That’s how rarified his record had become.

Now, of course, with the streak in the books, the implications – and in general Nylander’s stellar season – are like chickens coming home to roost. There will soon be a need to work out Nylander’s expected $10 million-plus salary and the Maple Leafs’ salary-cap constraints, and there will be the lingering impact of his continued solid performance on the looming negotiations and the broader financial landscape of the team. No surprise there.

Embracing the Nylander Dilemma

We should probably call it “The Nylander Dilemma.” Yesterday, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan got real and talked about what was happening with William Nylander in pragmatic terms. The perspective he offered on the Maple Leafs’ star’s amazing start and what this performance means to the team made tons of sense.

While I didn’t know there were fans losing sleep over Nylander’s season and what that might mean for the lineup next season, there might be. However, fans go through this every season. Players come and go. When one player leaves, someone new replaces him. 

One day that will be true of Nylander. Even if he goes on to have a long and healthy career with the Maple Leafs, he’ll one day leave. Someone new will come, although perhaps not as polarizing as Nylander has been – but, also maybe. Some Maple Leafs fans tend to do that with their players.

Shanahan’s Comments Invite Fans to Relax and Enjoy

Shanahan’s message to Maple Leafs fans was to “relax and enjoy.” Embrace the good news. The “problem” of watching Nylander earn more money in the future is far better than hoping he fails as a player. If he were failing, as fans, we’d all be letting the world know that he should be dumped, and as soon as possible. But hoping a player “plays down” to avoid a large contract is counterproductive.

Yesterday, when Shanahan was asked about the Nylander negotiations during an interview at the Board of Governors’ meetings, he responded, “If you are getting concerned because you have players on your team playing really good hockey, then you have to check yourself.”

Instead of worrying about the impact of the good news, he emphasized focusing on the good news itself. The fact that Nylander is having a solid season, and it will increase his next contract value. That is part of the business. And, it’s not all bad news.

For Shanahan, it was a dollars and cents (or, perhaps, dollars and sense) conversation. However, the nature of the ongoing negotiations was a topic he wasn’t willing to talk about. Instead, Shanahan 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.” Nylander was continuing to do just that.

The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs and Nylander’s Contract

While fans might worry about potential salary cap challenges due to Nylander’s stellar performance, Shanahan believes the benefits of Nylander’s standout season outweigh the future problems. To use a metaphor, the answer for the person footing the bill (Shanahan) at the Nylander restaurant was simply to enjoy the meal.