Report: Dubas, Nylander meeting in Switzerland to pick up contract talks

The Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander have agreed to meet on neutral ground in an attempt to end their standoff.

According to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has reportedly flown to Switzerland to meet with the restricted free agent and his representatives.

It’s unknown whether Dubas is flying overseas to get a deal done or to simply double down on his commitment to Nylander, who has been training in Sweden and apparently arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday. But you have to imagine a meeting of this nature means both sides are ready to hash out a resolution.

Although the details of the negotiations are purely speculative, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported in early October that Nylander’s agent, Lewis Gross, wasn’t budging from his $8 million ask on a long-term deal. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned in 31 Thoughts Wednesday that the two sides have also discussed a bridge deal ranging from $4.8M-$6M. In an ideal world, Toronto would like to lock him in between $6-$6.5M long term to leave as much room as possible for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner when their rookie deals expire next summer.

Dubas has made it clear he has no intention of trading the 22-year-old winger, who has put together back-to-back 61-point campaigns. But with the Maple Leafs off to a 6-1-0 start and Kasperi Kapanen filling in admirably alongside Auston Matthews (four goals and eight points in seven games), the scales have tilted in the Maple Leafs’ favour.

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