William Nylander entered the 2018 – 19 season as one of the young players expected to play an important role for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The previous two seasons had given the Swedish forward a strong foundation in the NHL. He had recorded 61 points in both 2016–17 and 2017 – 18, establishing himself as a productive member of Toronto’s attack. Then the new season began without him.
Nylander was a restricted free agent and remained unsigned while training camp opened, preseason games were played and the regular season got underway. The dispute eventually lasted until the final hours before the December 1 deadline. Toronto and Nylander finally reached an agreement on a six-year contract worth $45 million, but by then he had already missed the first 27 games of the season.
A Negotiation That Continued Into the Season
The difficulty was not simply that Nylander had not signed a contract by the start of the season. Both sides had spent months trying to find a figure that worked for the player and the club. Nylander had completed his entry-level contract and, as a restricted free agent, had limited options for forcing a move elsewhere. Toronto retained his NHL rights, while Nylander could choose not to report until an agreement was reached.
The longer the negotiations continued, the more significant the December 1 deadline became. Under the NHL’s rules at the time, a player in Nylander’s situation had to sign by that date to be eligible to play during the 2018 –19 season. That created an unusual situation. Every day without a contract meant another missed game, but the closer the deadline came, the greater the pressure on both sides.
Nylander eventually made the decisive call himself. With less than an hour remaining before the deadline, he and his agent Lewis Gross contacted the Maple Leafs. The agreement was completed shortly before 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Contract That Changed the Numbers
The final agreement was a six-year, $45 million contract with an average annual value of $6.9 million. Because the deal was signed during the season, its salary-cap structure resulted in a much higher cap charge for the 2018–19 season and lower figures in the remaining years.
The negotiations had reportedly involved a considerable gap between what Nylander wanted and what Toronto was prepared to offer. Reports at the time put the player’s preferred figure around $8 million per season, while the Maple Leafs were seeking a lower number. Neither side appeared willing to resolve the difference quickly.
Toronto had reasons to think about the team’s wider salary structure. The club had already committed significant money to its core players, and contracts for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were approaching. Nylander’s new deal therefore had implications beyond one player.
For Nylander, however, the negotiation concerned the value of his next stage as an NHL player. He had already demonstrated that he could produce at a high level, and the new contract would shape his position within the team for years. The eventual compromise solved the immediate problem, but it came at a cost that became visible once Nylander returned.
Returning After Missing 27 Games
Nylander made his season debut on December 6 against the Detroit Red Wings. He had spent the opening months away from the Maple Leafs, skating in Europe while the negotiations continued. The timing made his return complicated.
A player who misses training camp and the first two months of the regular season does not simply step back into the lineup. Teammates have already developed their routines, line combinations have changed and the pace of NHL games is difficult to reproduce outside the league. Nylander had to regain his timing while also adapting to the competitive rhythm of the team.
The results were not immediate. He struggled to produce consistently and recorded only seven goals and 20 assists in 54 games. His scoring rate fell sharply compared with the previous two seasons, when he had produced 61 points in each campaign.