The wait is over for Toronto Maple Leafs fans stewing in their seats over the fate of star player William Nylander. The Leafs have officially inked the Swedish player to a lucrative eight-year contract extension, the team announced today. The new deal boasts an average annual value of $11.5 million and is the most lucrative contract in team history at $92 million.
Nylander is having an incredible year and is currently tied for fifth among NHL scoring leaders amassing an impressive 54 points (21 goals, 33 assists) in just 37 games.
Nylander is one of a trio of, ahem, budding stars alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner who have represented the core of the team and its Stanley Cup aspirations for a number of years. Matthews was wrapped up with a four-year $53 million contract extension this past summer which will begin next season.
Recognizing his outstanding contributions, Nylander was honoured as an NHL Star of the Week in consecutive weeks of November, earning the second star for the week ending on Nov. 19 and the third star for the week ending on Nov. 12.
8 for 88 😎
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 8, 2024
Throughout his 558-game regular-season NHL career, Nylander has amassed an impressive 484 points (198 goals, 286 assists). His playoff performance has also been notable, contributing 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 50 Stanley Cup playoff games. Nylander currently holds the 15th position in goals, 17th in assists, and 14th in points on the regular-season franchise all-time list.
The eighth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, Nylander’s commitment to the Toronto Maple Leafs is set to fortify the team’s forward lineup for the foreseeable future. And, let’s not forget about his commitment to Toronto transit! Nylander became something of a local legend when news broke that he rode the red rocket to the rink on game days.