4:57 pm EST on Saturday marked the end of an unbearable soap opera.
With just a few minutes to spare before the RFA signing deadline, William Nylander put pen to paper on a six year, $6.9 million AAV contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While the contract was nice for both the Leafs and their young star, it also served as an important precedent for many of the other 30 NHL teams and their young players.
“Several restricted free agents have made it clear or agreed with their teams they’ll wait until after the season to talk contract,” Elliotte Friedman wrote in 31 Thoughts on November 21.