Report: Nylander's extension price higher than Leafs want

William Nylander's desired price on a potential contract extension is currently higher than what the Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to pay, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reports.

There is a "sizeable gap" between the two sides at the moment, LeBrun adds.

Nylander is eligible to sign an extension starting Saturday, the same date his 10-team no-trade list kicks in. The 27-year-old is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said earlier this week that he hoped for clarity on Nylander's and Auston Matthews' contract wishes by July 1. Matthews is also eligible to re-sign Saturday as a 2024 UFA.

Treliving added he's confident he'll be able to ink both players even if negotiations drag throughout the summer and into next season.

Nylander is nearing the end of a six-year, $45-million contract he signed in 2018. He infamously held out until the Dec. 1 deadline of that season before agreeing to a deal that has aged nicely for the perennially cap-strapped Maple Leafs at $6.9 million annually.

He's managed 295 points in 336 games over the duration of his current contract, including a career-high 40 goals and 87 points this past season. Nylander also managed 10 points in 11 playoff games this spring as the Maple Leafs advanced beyond the opening round for the first time since 2004.

Toronto currently has a projected $48 million in financial flexibility for the 2024-25 season with only 10 players signed, according to Cap Friendly. The cap is expected to rise significantly next summer after three years of stagnancy coming out of the pandemic.

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