In many respects, this is going to be an important season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. A new general manager, Brad Treliving, has to prove he can take over a team that has underperformed in the playoffs and get them over the hump when a generally well-respected previous GM could not. The team itself needs to show it can be a contender if they are going to keep their biggest stars in the fold. Finally, players who are on the verge of big extensions, or who have signed short-term deals need to earn their way to the extensions and massive paydays they want.
In particular, there are three forwards on this team that have a lot to prove. The group needs to collectively show up, but individually, these three need to arguably have bigger seasons than anyone else.
William Nylander Has to Earn His Big Payday
If the Leafs choose to let William Nylander go into this season unsigned, there will be pressure by the team to get a deal done later, assuming they don’t want him to walk. It’s not ideal, but it sounds like a risk the organization is willing to take. Even with that said, there will be a whole lot more pressure on Nylander’s shoulders to play up to the contract he’s looking to score.
The speculation is that he wants $10 million per season. That’s a lot, even in a landscape where the cap is going to rise. A mediocre season might get him close with a non-contender that has money to spend and new cap space to fill, but if he wants that deal with the Maple Leafs or another Stanley Cup-caliber team, he’s going to need to play so well that giving him that much money over the length of a long-term deal is a no-brainer.
Tyler Bertuzzi Looking For a Long-Term Deal
While Nylander wants to score the really high salary, Tyler Bertuzzi wants the long-term deal he couldn’t get this off-season when he tested the market and found out that teams were hesitant to invest in him at a price tag of $5-$6 million over five or six seasons. The Leafs wound up scoring a timely deal on a one-year contract, but Bertuzzi certainly doesn’t want next summer to be a repeat of this summer.
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The only way he gets a long-term commitment from a team is if he has a solid season, potting more goals and points than he has up to this point in his career. For as great a reputation as Bertuzzi has as a power forward with a knack for scoring goals, he’s only had one 30-goal season and his highest point total in any one year was 62. It’s nothing to sneeze at, but plenty of players have done more.
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Bertuzzi wants to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that he’s a player you heavily invest in and will provide a return on that investment.
Max Domi Wants to Stay a Maple Leaf
Unlike Nylander (who wants big money) and Bertuzzi (who wants term), Max Domi just wants to be a Maple Leaf. Sure, the money and the term matter, but this is a player who is tired of moving around and playing in different cities, trying to prove his worth on a lengthy deal. He’s got talent, but for some reason, he never stays put in any one city for very long. He’d like to change all of that and remain where his heart seems to be.
There’s a history with this franchise and it means a lot for Max to be a part of it. If he can follow in his father’s footsteps (Tie Domi) and don the uniform for a number of years, he’ll be where he wants to be. To get there, he needs a consistent and productive season, one that makes the Maple Leafs comfortable in offering him something longer.