Indeed, as the organization's rebuilding process has just begun and some undesirable contracts still impact the Tricolore's salary cap, the management decided to wait for a better opportunity before offering a lucrative contract to a top forward.
However, the Habs will have a huge amount of cap space next summer and several star players could possibly become free agents. So it would not be surprising if Kent Hughes tries to acquire a quality forward to support Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook with the aim of allowing the Canadiens to compete with the best teams in 2024-2025.
In this regard, in his latest column on The Athletic, the excellent Arpon Basu linked one of the Leafs' best forwards to the Tricolore. According to him, if William Nylander decides to test the free agent market next summer, the Habs must absolutely offer him a contract. It's worth noting that contract negotiations between Brad Treliving and the Swedish forward are not going well at the moment, with him asking for an annual salary of $10 million.
Wow! Imagine the scenario if Nylander decided to leave the Leafs next summer to join the Canadiens on the free agent market. I bet Toronto fans would be completely furious.
At the age of 27, the 6'0", 204 lb forward is at the top of his game right now. In his last two seasons, William Nylander has scored an impressive total of 74 goals and 93 assists (167 points) in 163 games. There is no doubt that his presence would have a major impact on the Tricolore's attack.
If the Leafs can't come to terms with Nylander, would you like Kent Hughes to offer him a multi-season contract with an annual salary of $10 million?
POLL | ||
If William Nylander decides to test the free agent market next summer, should Kent Hughes offer him $10 million? | ||
Yes | 270 | 26.8 % |
No | 736 | 73.2 % |
List of polls |