The Toronto Maple Leafs made a massive move yesterday (Aug. 23), signing superstar center Auston Matthews to a four-year, $53 million contract extension ($13.25 million AAV). Now, with Matthews locked up, the Maple Leafs can focus on extending their other pending unrestricted free agents (UFA). Let’s discuss three players who can now be next in line for a contract extension.
William Nylander
William Nylander has been discussed heavily in the rumor mill all summer, and The Athletic recently listed him at the top of their current trade targets board (from ‘NHL’s biggest trade targets for 2023-24: William Nylander, Connor Hellebuyck, more,’ The Athletic, 8/17/2023). Understandably, he is garnering trade speculation from fans, as he is due for a significant raise because of his excellent play. However, the star winger recently spoke with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, saying there is nowhere else he wants to be than Toronto. Thus, he, indeed, is a clear extension candidate.
Nylander currently carries a $6.96 million cap hit, which is a complete bargain for all he provides. This past season was awe-inspiring for the 27-year-old, as he set new career highs in goals (40), assists (47), and points (87). After a season like this, he is in a position to ask for a massive raise, and the Maple Leafs are undoubtedly hoping that they can get a new deal done for him.
Related: Maple Leafs’ William Nylander “Perfect Fit” for Ducks, Analyst Says
With the salary cap expected to rise and Nylander emerging into a significant part of their core, there is a chance that we could see him stick around. However, if his asking price becomes too large for the Maple Leafs, we should not rule out the possibility of a mid-season trade.
TJ Brodie
TJ Brodie is another Maple Leaf who could warrant consideration for a new contract. Although his current $5 million cap hit is a bit large for what he provides at this juncture of his career, he is still a dependable defensive defenseman who can handle top-four minutes. With that, he is a vital part of their penalty kill, so it would not be surprising to see the Maple Leafs aim to keep him around.
Brodie appeared in 58 games this past season with the Maple Leafs, posting two goals, 14 points, and a plus-10 rating. From an offensive standpoint, it was a down year for the veteran defenseman, but his defensive play still makes him a valuable asset to their roster. Furthermore, when noting that he posted a 28-point campaign in 82 games in 2021-22 with Toronto, there is a reason to believe he could produce more this upcoming season. That, too would help his chances of landing an extension.
If Brodie is willing to take a pay cut for his next deal, it seems quite possible that he and the Maple Leafs could get something done. This is something to pay close attention to this year.
Mark Giordano
Mark Giordano also makes sense as a possible extension candidate. Remember, the Toronto native took a massive discount on his current deal ($800,000 AAV) to play for his hometown Maple Leafs, so it is pretty likely that he would do the same to stick around. This is especially so when noting that the Maple Leafs allow him to play for a strong team that has Stanley Cup potential.
Giordano is still quite effective at this point of his career, too. The 39-year-old defenseman is coming off a solid 2022-23 season, as he had four goals, 24 points, and a notable plus-27 rating. Although his offensive production was down a bit, he still was reliable defensively. With that, his leadership qualities are valuable to the Maple Leafs roster, so it does not seem out of the question that they would be willing to ink him to a one-year extension at a similar price.
Recent free-agent signings like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, and John Klingberg also could be players who the Maple Leafs look to keep around past this season. However, they cannot sign contract extensions right now since they just joined the club, so this is something that the Maple Leafs could consider later down the road.
We will need to wait and see if Nylander, Brodie, and Giordano land contract extensions from the Maple Leafs soon. Nylander is the biggest pending UFA to bring back, but it would still be good to see Brodie and Giordano stick around, too.