Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews and Nylander – Sign Now or Sayonara

Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan has told each of the club’s “big 4” forwards they are not likely to be traded this summer, per TSN’s Chris Johnston on “Insider Trading.”

Auston Matthews and William Nylander are entering the final season of their contracts, and are both eligible to sign extensions with the Toronto Maple Leafs starting July 1.

John Tavares and Mitch Marner each have two years remaining on their deals.

The problem for Toronto’s yet-to-be-named general manager is the fact that each of these players has some form of no-trade clause that will be in effect come July 1.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews and Nylander – Sign Now or Sayonara

Tavares already has an active full no-movement clause, and Matthews and Marner will shortly have similar full veto power over any trade.  Nylander’s deal contains only a 10-team no-trade clause.

If you believe the players’ words, they all seem happy to be Toronto Maple Leafs and want to keep the core of the team together.  I have no reason to doubt their sincerity, but circumstances and feelings can change quickly.

One can argue whether or not the team should run it back once more with this version of the team or whether a major shakeup is in order, but it appears that Shanahan has voiced his preference.

Before Kyle Dubas was cut adrift from the organization, there were rumblings that he was considering letting July 1 slide by without inking Matthews to a contract extension, with the view to “getting it done” before the start of the season this fall.  It would be a grave error on Shanahan’s part if he were to follow this line of thinking.

The Toronto Maple Leafs absolutely cannot allow all of the negotiating leverage to pass over to the Matthews camp by not negotiating an extension prior to July 1.  The same can be said about William Nylander’s situation.

Even if both players genuinely want to stay with the Leafs long term, it is in their best interest to play out their current contract, assess the landscape after next season, then sign where it makes the most sense.  Of course, this exposes the team to the possibility of losing the players for nothing if they decide to leave for greener pastures.

Prudent management would not allow for this risk.  If the core four want to stay together, it’s time to put signatures to paper.  Otherwise, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to urgently explore the trade market.  They may have difficulty getting full value in return, but I can’t imagine there isn’t some team out there willing to pony up some serious assets for even one year of a marquee name like Auston Matthews.

Of course, there is also risk in locking in players who have yet to show they can put together a long playoff run, and ultimately win a Stanley Cup.  Either way, somebody has to decide which way to steer the ship, and then try to keep it on course.

Having stars of this magnitude walk away for nothing next year would be a crushing blow to a team that has developed into a perennial contender.  Potentially, the entire core could be gone within two seasons, with zero return.  Nobody in Leaf Land wants to see that. The time to act is now.