"So if I were to read between the lines here, I don't think the trade deadline in March will be much of a factor as long as the Leafs are contenders again. They seem willing to go all the way to next summer to get Nylander's contract done.
Treliving made it clear that he wants Nylander to remain a Maple Leaf, and there is a sense that the general manager made a push to get the deal done prior to the start of training camps on September 21st, but so far, no deal has materialized. When asked to comment on this development, Treliving avoided sharing any specific details.
«I'm not going to get into the play-by-play of it other than to say he's a very good player and you always want to keep good players,» Treliving said, as per LeBrun. «And he's told me he wants to be in Toronto. That's the most important thing. If there's a desire on both sides, then you should be able to come to an agreement."
Treliving also stressed that these types of negotiations take time, something that Maple Leafs fans know all too well, given that they just went through the same situation with
Auston Matthews. Matthews' expiring contract gave him an incredible amount of leverage this summer, however, and the Maple Leafs now risk putting themselves in a similar situation with Nylander, who admittedly sounds like he would also like to remain a Maple Leaf.
"We're open to trying to get a deal done, as well," confirmed Lewis Gross, Nylander's agent."