Ahead of last night's game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe commented on William Nylander's play. As it stands, Nylander leads the Leafs in points with 45 in 31 games.
Keefe however is not impressed by this and has let his true thoughts on Nylander's production be known.
Reading between the lines, what Keefe is essentially saying is that Nylander is being carried by Matthews and needs to start producing a bit more.
While Nylander is the Leafs' leading point scorer, he is currently an expiring UFA. If Nylander feels under-appreciated by the Leafs, he may price himself out of a contract with the Leafs.
As it stands, Nylander could easily demand well over $10 million a year and the Leafs may not be able to keep him around at that price tag. This now puts them between a rock and a hard place because if the Leafs do not trade Nylander, they could lose him for nothing but if they do trade him, their core for a playoff run is heavily depleted.
Hopefully, this passes over and the Maple Leafs are able to retain their star forward for the rest of his career.
POLL | ||
24 DECEMBRE | 2466 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe Publicly Calls Out William Nylander Should the Leafs sign Nylander to a contract worth $11 million per year? | ||
Yes | 1341 | 54.4 % |
No | 1125 | 45.6 % |
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