The 27-year-old has committed to an eight-year, $92-million contract extension, foregoing the option to enter free
agency this summer to remain with the only NHL organization he has ever known.
The 27-year-old has signed to an eight-year, $92-million (U.S.) contract extension with the Maple Leafs, foregoing
the potential to enter free agency this summer to remain with the only NHL organization he has ever known.
“It’s good that it’s finished. “I know where I’m going to stay for the next eight years,” Nylander said after practice
Monday, shortly after the agreement was announced. “It’s a really amazing experience. This has been home for me.
This is the longest time I’ve ever spent in one area in my life.”
It is also the largest contract in franchise history. The contract includes a comprehensive no-movement clause for the
term of the transaction.
The deal includes $69 million in signing bonuses, or nearly 75% of the $92 million, spread out over eight years. The
amount he earns changes from year to year, although it begins at $13.5 million in the first year, with $10 million
coming from a bonus, and drops to $9 million in the final year, with a $8 million bonus. Deals with a high signing
bonus are often considered buyout proof since only the base salary is subject to the buyout equation, resulting in the
team saving very little cap room by buying out such a contract.
Nick Kypreos, a Toronto Star columnist and Sportsnet personality, was the first to indicate that a deal was close.
The contract follows Auston Matthews’ summertime extension, a four-year deal worth $13.25 million per year that
begins next season.
“It’s huge as a player to feel that they are really investing in the core and betting on us,” Nylander went on to say. “I
believe we feel the same way. That is ultimately why I chose to stay for eight years. I wanted to give it a shot to win
the Cup.”
The agreement ensures that the Core Four will remain together for at least one more season, but it also places the
spotlight on the fates of captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner. On July 1, both will be eligible for individual
extensions.
