Damien Cox of The Toronto Star: The Winnipeg Jets were proactive with Nikolaj Ehlers and signed him to a seven-year, $42 million extension last October. The Toronto Maple Leafs took a different approach with William Nylander and let him play out his entry-level deal.
The Maple Leafs need to do everything they can to not be in the same situation with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner next year as they are with Nylander now.
The fact that the Maple Leafs have already held contract talks with Matthews and Marner’s camp suggests that they realize this as well.