Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season
By Simon Vacca
3. Extensions — Who? What? When? Where? How?
As rumors surrounding Gardiner’s future continue to swirl, so too do the host of questions regarding the extension of other key players — namely the young trio known as the Maple Leafs’ “Big Three.”
Few would trouble the notion that Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner are three of the NHL’s most prominent up and coming talents. The enormity of signing all of the youngsters on long-term deals, however, has prompted widespread speculation from the hockey world’s critics — a topic of rumination that promises to remain relevant until Dubas and his counterparts undertake a direct course of action.
In a discussion with Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, Dubas expressed confidence about keeping the aforementioned trio, along with his recent signing of the summer, Tavares, on a lengthy basis. “We can, and we will,” the GM remarked:
"It might go a little bit slower than some people would like but that would be on me to continue to be patient with it and make sure that these guys are not just signing because it’s a long-term contract and it’s obviously a nice pay increase for them, but they want to be here as part of the long-term, they know where we’re going and they’re a full part of that rather than sign a deal and then a year later wonder what the vision is for the program and whether they want to be part of it."
Indeed, Dubas’ confidence should excite the organization’s fans — especially in light of the extent to which the talking point is considered among the sport’s pundits.
Nevertheless, the seeds of speculation shall continue to be planted.
Matthews temporarily calmed the sea of worries by confirming that talks of an extension are already underway. Marner, meanwhile, admitted that he’d like to be taken more seriously heading into the not-so-distant future.
To the dismay of many a Buds fan, Nylander remains a frequent subject of the rumor mill — this, in spite of his efforts to ease the ongoing rumblings. Speaking with TSN, Nylander stated that contract negotiations are “between my agent and [general manager Kyle Dubas].” He expanded: “They’re talking about it, so I’m not really into that right now. Once it gets closer to the season, I think I’ll be more dialed [in]. I mean, Kyle says it’s going to take some time, so I’m not too stressed about it.”
Perhaps Nylander’s tone should serve as a lesson for fans of the franchise. That said, expect the wheel of rumors to operate in full swing until the club’s administrators set forth a degree of resolution to a rather hefty question.