SportThe William Nylander story: A timeline from NHL draft to Maple Leafs' new $45M man
NHL Rumor Roundup: The deadline is this Saturday, so what will the Maple Leafs and Nylander do?
All the buildup has been for this moment - will the Maple Leafs sign, trade or let William Nylander miss an entire season?
The Maple Leafs took Nylander with the No. 8 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft . After the 5-foot-11, 190-pound center was the fifth-leading scorer at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship, the Maple Leafs opted to send him to Toronto of the American Hockey League . In 37 games during the second
William Andrew Michael Junior Nylander Altelius (born 1 May 1996) is a Canadian-born Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ).
© Provided by Perform Media Channels Limited Every story needs specific elements. Theme, plot, conflict, setting, villain, ingenue, hero. Fair to say, the William Nylander-Toronto Maple Leafs drama had it all.
Depending on which side you're on, the names may be slightly different, but the storyline has had lots of twists and turns leading up to a long-term contract Dec. 1.
Let's break down the script and see how this story went from treatment to manuscript to production.
William Nylander's career timeline: From draft to deadline
June 27, 2014
It all started off so perfectly — a bright, sunny (assuming) day in Philadelphia — just like any movie. The Maple Leafs get their guy as William Nylander was taken eighth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs C Auston Matthews tallies goal, assist in first period after return from injury
Matthews has not played since Oct. 27, but now has 18 points in 12 games.
In Young Leafs , I track the building of a Maple Leafs team that looks poised to be a contender in the Eastern Conference for years to come and is already one of the most exciting teams in the league . If Nylander doesn’t turn out to be the most important piece acquired by the management team that
The curated/filtered Maple Leafs Aggregator homepage provides an easy-to-digest snapshot of the current Toronto Maple Leafs news by filtering/limiting some content — on this list See Everything for all Maple Leafs content listed in the order in which they were found by our crawlers and admins.
It's been an amazing day! Thank you to my friends and family for always supporting me. Proud to be part of the @MapleLeafs #unreal
— William Nylander (@wmnylander) June 28, 2014
Aug. 18, 2014
Less than two months later, the young ingenue signs a three-year entry-level contract worth $5.325M with an annual average salary of $1.775M.
“Not only does William Nylander bring a high level of speed and skill to his game but he has a very strong character on and off the ice,” then-Toronto GM David Nonis said. “We believe he has a very bright future and are happy to have him signed to his first NHL contract.”
His future is bright.
A dream come true! One step closer and a lot of hard work ahead.
— William Nylander (@wmnylander) August 18, 2014
Feb. 29, 2016
Finally! The kid realizes his dream and makes his NHL debut. In 18:41 of ice time, he registers two shots on net.
Maple Leafs GM says team 'stayed optimistic' about signing William Nylander
"We had our process and we have a great staff," Toronto GM Kyle Dubas told reporters. "It wasn't really an emotional experience." Kyle Dubas on getting William Nylander signed: "We always tried to stay optimistic. We had our process and we have a great staff...it wasn't re — Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 1, 2018 Nylander signed a six-year deal worth nearly $42 million. Toronto has now tied up a combined $119 million between the young center and second-line center John Tavares, who they signed this offseason.
This is a complete list of ice hockey players who were drafted in the National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise. It includes every player who was drafted , regardless of whether they played for the team.
The Maple Leafs and mapleleafs .com are trademarks of MLSE. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of
William Nylander took part in Maple Leafs practice this morning. He could make his NHL debut tonight vs. Lightning.https://t.co/ejK6Y5o03p
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 29, 2016
March 5, 2016
Then, the 19-year-old center nets his first goal — the game-winning goal — on a Leafs power play in the third period against the New York Islanders and goaltender Thomas Greiss. He is all smiles and excited for what is sure to be a promising career.
2015-16 Season
In 22 games with Toronto, Nylander nets six goals and seven assists and averages 16:20 in playing time.
2016-17 Season
At just 20 years old, the Canadian-born Swede plays his first full season in the NHL. In 81 games he breaks out and records 22 goals and 39 assists, is named Rookie of the Month twice (October and March) and finishes sixth in voting for the Calder Trophy.
Ilya Kovalchuk injury update: Kings forward out 4 weeks after ankle surgery
The 35-year-old forward started the season strong, scoring five goals and nine assists in 25 games since returning to the NHL.
William Nylander fun fact and updates, the Sabres’ 10 game win streak is over, Philly GM job early front News and notes from around the NHL . We go all the way to Sweden for a report on the crucial side of the William Nylander contract discussion that the mainstream media just won’t cover.
Draft Schmaft: The Toronto Maple Leafs disastrous 1999 NHL Entry Draft . New , 21 comments. You have 9 picks, one player has to at least make an In what could possibly be the worst professional sports draft of all time , the Maple Leafs drafted nine players and saw a grand total of three - yes
The young star also sees his first postseason action as he suits up for the Leafs' first-round elimination to the Capitals, scoring a goal and three assists in six games.
Everything is coming up roses.
Lost in Auston Matthews' record-setting 67th point is that William Nylander became the 4th Leafs rookie to ever hit 60 with his assist.
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) April 3, 2017
Oct. 4, 2017
Let the drama commence! Nylander tells the media following the first morning skate of the year he won't negotiate during the season.
“Well, I’m a guy who just wants to: If we do it, (either) before the season or after,” Nylander told Sportsnet prior to the season opener. “We’re just trying to focus on the team, and the way I’m playing during the year.”
2017-18 Season
Things could have taken a turn for the worse here as he headed into his sophomore year, and the dreaded sophomore slump.
But no!
Nylander scores 20 goals and 41 assists in a full slate of games. The first-round pick matched his point total from the previous year in the playoffs as the Leafs lose to the Bruins in the first round in seven games.
NHL Rumor Roundup: With William Nylander back for the Maple Leafs, is Jake Gardiner the odd man out?
With William Nylander signed and upcoming RFA's Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner expecting big paydays, one has to wonder if there will be room for defenseman and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner in the Maple Leafs long-term plans.
William Nylander became the first European player chosen at the NHL draft in Philadelphia, when he was picked eighth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs . Nonis said the Leafs were looking to move down in the draft had two players not been available by their pick.
William Nylander and Mitch Marner have dazzled for the Leafs in their rookie seasons. Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images. I asked Marner what has been the most important lesson through more than a month into this NHL career, and he didn't hesitate with his answer.
July 1
Dark clouds start to circle as the entry-level contract expires and Nylander becomes a restricted free agent. On the same day, John Tavares signs with the Maple Leafs leading to speculation if they'll be enough money to sign Nylander too.
July 4
.@MapleLeafs GM Kyle Dubas was asked if signing John Tavares impacts their approach to extension talks with Matthews, Marner & Nylander.
Hear the full interview here: https://t.co/2dOip83a2I pic.twitter.com/WFCI3FfWxY
— OverDrive 1050 (@OverDrive1050) July 5, 2018
Aug. 1
William Nylander says he wants a long-term contract with Maple Leafs as opposed to a bridge deal.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) August 1, 2018
Sept. 13
Leafs open camp, and just like the O.K. Corral - although, maybe not as contentious and involving bloodshed - the standoff begins.
Sept. 25
#Leafs GM Kyle Dubas on PTS re Nylander: “Their camp has been focused on a long-term deal and ours as well. I think a bridge (deal) for both of us would be the sub-optimal solution to this. We continue to work primarily on long term deals with Lewis (Gross).”
— Dhiren Mahiban (@dcmahiban) September 25, 2018
More Dubas on Nylander: “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t accepting calls from teams (on Nylander), but I can say absolutely that we are not shopping him.”
Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs ready to take on Sabres: 'They're for real and not a team you take lightly'
The Maple Leafs head to Buffalo to take on the Sabres Tuesday night in, surprisingly, a marquee Eastern Conference match-up.
— Dhiren Mahiban (@dcmahiban) September 25, 2018The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted second-ranked center William Nylander with the eighth pick in the 2014 NHL entry draft . Nylander , born in Calgary, Alberta, played for three different teams in Sweden including Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik, Rogle BK and Sodertalje SK. Through a combined 57 games
William Nylander discusses whether hearing his name in trade rumours is surprising or distracting at all. Nylander is the only one of that high-ceiling trio seeing time outside of the Maple Leafs ’ top six. Save the two periods Sean Monahan was demoted to a checking role for Calgary last week, Nylander
"We hope to get him back, of course. He's a big part of this team. The clock's kinda tickin'. Hopefully that gets resolved because everybody wants him here." —Auston Matthews on William Nylander
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 28, 2018
Sept. 27
Interesting tweet from @CapFriendly. Could this be why the deal hasn't been done yet?
Is there a future cap benefit if #Leafs wait until after the season starts to sign Nylander?
Based on a league bylaw, RFA's who sign multiyear deals in-season see a higher cap hit in year 1, but a reduced cap hit in years 2+
Details https://t.co/WwjlPimlfH
Few examples pic.twitter.com/GNJY3vGj44
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) September 27, 2018
Oct. 3
Maple Leafs start their season without Nylander and win. Did Nylander misplay his hand?.
Oct. 6
Optimism is still high that the kid will sign soon.
The new Leafs media guide is all inclusive. pic.twitter.com/W6njUkIi4s
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) October 6, 2018
Oct. 9
It appears Nylander wants a long-term agreement. But will he get it? Or will it be the more Leafs' friendly bridge deal? The drama starts to build.
Oct. 17
Toronto Sun reports Nylander and Toronto GM Kyle Dubas meet in Zurich.
Oct. 18
Plot twist! Next day Leafs scouts start showing up at games and NHL teams start sending multiple scouts to Toronto's games.
Four teams are sending TWO scouts to tonight's #leafs - #pens game: Carolina, New Jersey, N.Y. Rangers and Tampa.
That's unusual.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 18, 2018
Oct. 19
William Nylander and the #MapleLeafs remain at an impasse contractually
Rangers most valuable NHL team, McDavid highest-paid player, according to report
The New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs most valuable teams in NHL, report finds.
William Nylander is expected to be back in Toronto on Sunday. Nylander signed a six-year contract with the Maple Leafs on Saturday just before the Nylander must be signed before 5:00 pm EDT Saturday to be eligible to play in the NHL this season. Although technically the Leafs can trade him
The Toronto Maple Leafs draft Swedish defencemen Timothy Liljegren with the 17th pick of the 2017. This marks the first time in four years that the team did not have a top-10 pick— William Nylander went eighth in 2014, Mitch Marner went fourth in 2015 and Calder Trophy winner Auston
But the 22-year-old winger has practiced with an Austrian hockey team this week as he remains active away from the NHL https://t.co/g6RUXJMrEk pic.twitter.com/KGPXisZMso
— Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) October 19, 2018
Oct. 21
The hockey world is still confident the two sides will agree to a contract before the end of the month.
/William Nylander walks to arena in Austria
Kid with thick Austrian accent: “Excuse me! Mr. Nylander! Can I have an autograph?”
Nylander: “Sure kid.”
/Willy signs paper
/Kid rips off mask to reveal thick framed glasses
Dubas: “GOTCHA!”
— Steve Dangle Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) October 22, 2018
But GM Kyle Dubas also starts showing up at games, not in Toronto and without the Leafs playing.
Per @reporterchris , #Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and Nylander agent Lewis Gross will be meeting today in NYC. #TMLTalk
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) October 22, 2018
Interesting. #Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is at #Flames #NYR game. Could a deal for Nylander be imminent? @sportingnewsca
— Jackie Spiegel (@jackiespiegel93) October 21, 2018
Oct. 23
Former Maple Leafs Mats Sundin and Glen Healy offer their thoughts on the impasse
William Nylander did not return to practice with the @DECBulldogs in Austria this morning. He practised with them three times last week, and used their ice yesterday as well.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 23, 2018
Halloween
A sweet moment breaks the dark clouds, for a moment. Kid Dubas and Kid Nylander agree to a deal. Will the adult versions sign one soon?
A Kyle Dubas & William Nylander contract signing costume! #JayAndDan pic.twitter.com/bW3p1eUikr
— #JayAndDan (@JayAndDan) October 30, 2018
Dubas reacting to the two kids dressing up as a Nylander contract signing is great #Leafs #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/pJmXSN4hj2
— Omar (@OLW93) October 30, 2018
Dubas reiterates he's not trading Nylander, but rumors continue to swirl according to Sporting News' Lyle Richardson.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Are the Penguins looking to move Phil Kessel?
Despite being one of the most consistent players in the NHL over the last few seasons, and the winner of two Stanley Cup's with Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel's name once again is popping up in trade rumors.
William Nylander 's contract standoff with the Toronto Maple Leafs ended the way most observers assumed it would. Nylander lacks no-trade protection until the final year of his new contract. Having worked so hard to finally get Nylander under contract, it would make little sense for the Leafs
Nov. 16
In an exclusive with Sporting News, former NHLer Michael Peca, who sat out an entire year after being unable to come to an agreement with the Buffalo Sabres, offers up his thoughts.
Nov. 23
This tweet from Blue Jackets fan sends Leafs Twitter into a tizzy. But, his "update" never comes.
BREAKING: Just spoke with @MapleLeafs GM Kyle Dubas and asked about where they stand on William Nylander. His response was “I’ll have an update by 5pm.” Something tells me a resolve in the Nylander situation is close. #Nylander #MapleLeafs pic.twitter.com/Au0Zwyi7k8
— Ryan Lacey (@rlacey2571) November 23, 2018
Nov. 24
© Provided by Perform Media Channels Limited nylander-babcock-112418-getty-ftr.jpeg Nov. 28
Head coach Mike Babcock tells the media, "We're going to play him WHEN he gets back."
"We hope to get him back, of course. He's a big part of this team. The clock's kinda tickin'. Hopefully that gets resolved because everybody wants him here." —Auston Matthews on William Nylander
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 28, 2018
William Nylander is skating in Sweden
Friendly reminder: deadline to sign with #MapleLeafs is Saturday, Dec. 1 pic.twitter.com/feI1F3cbS9 ( @HockeynewsSe )
— Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) November 28, 2018
Nov. 29
The Maple Leafs' priority/hope is still to re-sign William Nylander but my understanding with that with just two days to go to the signing deadline, Toronto has circled back to some teams suggesting they put their best foot forward on trade offers... which makes sense
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) November 29, 2018
Nov. 30
Babcock on Nylander: "In my heart and in my mind I know he's gonna be on the team. That's how I gotta think."
Dec. 1
Nylander, Watch pic.twitter.com/KHNi26QtYo
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) December 1, 2018
this is actually insane. #NylanderWatch pic.twitter.com/DMwiaUQsu9
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) December 1, 2018
And then, with minutes remaining before the 5 PM ET deadline and just when everyone thought the ending would be like "The Sopranos"...fade to black without knowing what will happen...
The @MapleLeafs have agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension with forward William Nylander, subject to League approval. #LeafsForever
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 1, 2018
Never in doubt, Ry.
— Kyle Dubas (@kyledubas) December 1, 2018
Going home pic.twitter.com/neccpyfBVz
— William Nylander (@wmnylander) December 1, 2018
And now he's back in the fold, all is well in Maple Leafs land and they lived happily ever after...
until Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner's contracts expire after the season.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Are the Penguins looking to move Phil Kessel?.
Despite being one of the most consistent players in the NHL over the last few seasons, and the winner of two Stanley Cup's with Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel's name once again is popping up in trade rumors.
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The Maple Leafs took Nylander with the No. 8 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft . After the 5-foot-11, 190-pound center was the fifth-leading scorer at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship, the Maple Leafs opted to send him to Toronto of the American Hockey League . In 37 games during the second
William Nylander - WikipediaWilliam Andrew Michael Junior Nylander Altelius (born 1 May 1996) is a Canadian-born Swedish professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League ( NHL ).
Big Read: What the Maple Leafs risked by drafting William NylanderIn Young Leafs , I track the building of a Maple Leafs team that looks poised to be a contender in the Eastern Conference for years to come and is already one of the most exciting teams in the league . If Nylander doesn’t turn out to be the most important piece acquired by the management team that
Toronto Maple Leafs News, Rumours | Maple Leafs AggregatorThe curated/filtered Maple Leafs Aggregator homepage provides an easy-to-digest snapshot of the current Toronto Maple Leafs news by filtering/limiting some content — on this list See Everything for all Maple Leafs content listed in the order in which they were found by our crawlers and admins.
List of Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks - WikipediaThis is a complete list of ice hockey players who were drafted in the National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise. It includes every player who was drafted , regardless of whether they played for the team.
Leafs Nation | The Official Site of the Toronto Maple LeafsThe Maple Leafs and mapleleafs .com are trademarks of MLSE. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of
William Nylander News, Stats, Photos | Toronto Maple LeafsWilliam Nylander fun fact and updates, the Sabres’ 10 game win streak is over, Philly GM job early front News and notes from around the NHL . We go all the way to Sweden for a report on the crucial side of the William Nylander contract discussion that the mainstream media just won’t cover.
Toronto Maple Leafs history : The awful 1999 NHL DraftDraft Schmaft: The Toronto Maple Leafs disastrous 1999 NHL Entry Draft . New , 21 comments. You have 9 picks, one player has to at least make an In what could possibly be the worst professional sports draft of all time , the Maple Leafs drafted nine players and saw a grand total of three - yes
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NHL - Toronto Maple Leafs rookies Mitch Marner and WilliamWilliam Nylander and Mitch Marner have dazzled for the Leafs in their rookie seasons. Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images. I asked Marner what has been the most important lesson through more than a month into this NHL career, and he didn't hesitate with his answer.
