Toronto is the perfect fit for William Nylander

William Nylander and the city of Toronto go hand in hand as it has always been home to him. 

"This has been home for me," Nylander told the Toronto media recently. "This is the longest I've ever spent in one place in my entire life. It's funny, the other day I was talking a friend and I said, 'And then we go home,' in referring to Toronto. Without even thinking about, this was home."

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Nylander have agreed to a new eight-year contract extension, worth $92 million. Nylander's new deal carries a $11.5 million annual average value. 

Entering the season, Nylander was a pending unrestricted free agent. There was a lot of talk about him potentially going to the market and potentially leaving Toronto. However, Toronto was the only place he wanted to play and be. 

"I'm just getting ready for this season," Nylander told Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek of Sportsnet on the 32 Thoughts Podcast. "My agent and Brad can do whatever talking they want to do for to try to get a contract done obviously there's no other place that want to play at so mind's only in Toronto."

Nylander wanted to put together the best season possible. He is doing just that in what was a contract season. He began the season with a franchise-record 17-game point streak to begin the season with 12 goals and 27 points. Through 37 games, he is fifth in scoring with 21 goals and 54 points. 

And you can make the argument he is the Maple Leafs' most valuable player ahead of Auston Matthews. At least the most consistent player thus far this season and in the playoffs as well. But Nylander thrives under pressure, especially in Toronto. What does it say for a player in a city like Toronto to ride the subway to practice and a game so comfortably? Nylander was made for Toronto.  

While the negotiations were long and drawn out, both parties knew what it was going to take to make a deal happen and keep Nylander in Toronto. 

Nylander knew what his worth was and his play dictated his value to the Maple Leafs. But this is nothing new for William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Five years ago when Nylander was a restricted free agent, he went all the way up until the deadline on Dec. 1 before he signed the current deal he is on before the extension kicks in on Jul. 1. 

The process began at the 2023 NHL Draft as the new parties exchanged parameters of a new deal. But it was a seven-month grind between general manager Brad Treliving and Nylander that culminated with signing with the only team he has ever played for. 

The Maple Leafs drafted Nylander in the 2014 NHL Draft. Now, the place he has called home since then will be home forever.