SAN JOSE - The Toronto Maple Leafs are at a crossroads, and it seems like everyone’s future is up in the air.
William Nylander, one of the team’s key players, has been clear about his intentions. He wants to stay with the Leafs, but only if they remain focused on chasing Stanley Cups and not tearing everything down.
“Unless it was a full rebuild and we were going to get rid of everybody, then it’s a different story,” Nylander shared after practice. “But just to do a retool or whatever, I don’t even know, but I mean, I still want to be here, yeah.”
Nylander has already had a conversation with former GM Brad Treliving about the team’s direction. Before Treliving’s departure, Nylander described their discussion as positive, with Treliving indicating a preference for retooling rather than rebuilding.
“Brad said that he doesn’t want to rebuild or anything. He just wants to retool and stuff,” Nylander explained. “That sounded fine for me.”
With Treliving out, Keith Pelley has hinted at maintaining the course, largely due to “foundational pieces” like Nylander. However, the new leadership might have different plans.
“We have generational pieces in 34 and in 88 and in 23 and in 91,” Pelley stated, referring to Auston Matthews, Nylander, Matthew Knies, and John Tavares. “We have strong goaltending.
There’s a lot of positives. We now just have to surround those individuals with better pieces.”
Nylander’s stance remains steady since his talk with Treliving, though he hasn’t yet discussed it with Pelley. At 29, Nylander’s position contrasts slightly with that of Matthews, another key player.
Pelley and Matthews have only exchanged texts since Treliving’s firing, with more in-depth discussions expected soon. Matthews’ future decisions could impact the team’s direction, but Nylander hasn’t focused on that possibility yet.
“I mean, I haven’t really thought about it, like that far,” Nylander noted. “Once they just told me (rebuilding is) not what they want to do - like, try to keep winning here or try to start winning (Stanley Cups).”
If Matthews were to leave, it might prompt a full rebuild, something Nylander isn’t keen on joining. He’s locked in with a six-year deal remaining on his eight-year, $92 million contract signed in 2024.
Nylander believes the Leafs can bounce back with the right offseason moves. He’s optimistic about their prospects, drawing parallels with the Boston Bruins’ recent turnaround.
Reflecting on this season, Nylander admitted it was “super frustrating and rattling.” That’s why his conversation with Treliving was crucial, ensuring the team was aligned in its pursuit of winning Cups rather than rebuilding.