William Nylander strikes 8-year, $92M US contract extension with Maple Leafs

William Nylander is the final member of the Toronto Maple Leafs' Core Four to join the eight-figure salary club.

On Monday, the ninth-year NHL forward agreed to an eight-year contract extension. He was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

It is the largest contract in Maple Leafs history by total value and includes a no-movement clause.

Top centre Auston Matthews signed a four-year extension with Toronto last August that carries an average annual value of $13.25 million US. Linemate Mitch Marner agreed to a six-year deal in 2019 with an AAV of $10.893 million, while fellow forward John Tavares earns $11 million on his seven-year pact signed in 2018.

Defenceman Morgan Rielly is also is in the second year of an eight-year contract worth $7.5 million a season. Those five players account for more than 60 per cent of the Maple Leafs' salary cap space.

All five have no-movement clauses in their deals.

At $11.5 million, Nylander sits below only the New York Rangers' Artemi Panarin ($11.64 million) among the NHL's highest-paid wingers.

"That would be a dream to stay here. I mean, to play for such an organization, and I call Toronto home," the six-foot, 202-pound Swede told reporters after a 4-1 Toronto win at San Jose on Saturday. "So, I think that'd be a very special feeling."

Nylander, who had two goals and three points against the Sharks, is on track for career highs in goals (47) and points (120).

"Just building off what I did the year before and the year before that. I mean, getting older and more mature as a player," said Nylander, who posted 80 points in the 2021-22 season and improved to 87 last campaign. "I think everything is just coming together and becoming the player that I'm capable of being."

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