To hear Dave Nonis explain it, there won’t be any problems reaching a deal with William Nylander, the club’s first-round pick (eighth overall) at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
“We’re moving along on that,” the Leafs GM said, per the Toronto Star. “There’s no hiccups.”
Nylander, 18, is in a pretty curious position. He wowed onlookers at a July prospects camp, prompting Nonis to said Nylander “might be the most skilled player” taken at the draft. While undersized and still very young, he’s got NHL aspirations for this fall -- having spent last season playing against men (and with his father, ex-NHLer Michael) in the Swedish league, Nylander is reportedly expected to skip Sweden’s under-20 training camp in September to focus on making the Leafs.
Which is why he needs that entry-level deal.
Whether or not Nylander makes the Leafs remains to be seen, however. They’ve stockpiled veteran forwards over the last few weeks, agreeing to terms with Mike Santorelli, David Booth and, most recently, Daniel Winnik. Combined with earlier acquisitions (Leo Komarov, Petri Kontiola, Matt Frattin), Toronto currently has 17 forwards on NHL contracts, which definitely lessened Nylander’s chances of making the big team.