Skip to content

Nylander offers advice to Matthews, Marner: Get new deals done before season starts

Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty

After William Nylander's well-documented holdout to begin the year, he's experienced when it comes to contract negotiations, so much so that the Toronto Maple Leafs winger is offering advice to fellow teammates and pending restricted free agents Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

"Just get it done before the season starts," Nylander said to TSN's Gino Reda when asked if he had any words of wisdom. "That's probably the one thing you'd want, to get it out of the way."

Matthews and Marner are both restricted free agents at the end of this season and could find themselves in similar contract negotiations as Nylander if they don't take the Swede's advice.

Nylander missed the Leafs' first 28 games and only has two assists in five contests since returning. He admitted that it'll take a bit longer to feel like his old self.

"Probably another couple more games," Nylander said, according to Reda. "So another week, and I'll feel 100 percent."

The 22-year-old signed a six-year, $45-million deal on Dec. 1 after posting two straight 61-point campaigns.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox