NYLANDER, PETTERSSON PRICE TAGS KEEP RISING

TORONTO, ON — William Nylander has hijacked most of the contract-related spotlight recently, and for good reason. He’s on a 17-game point streak to open the regular-season, a big reason why the Toronto Maple Leafs a top-three seed in the uber-competitive Atlantic Division. After owning the headlines in Sweden, he and his next contract are all everyone can talk about.

And it doesn’t just feel that way because I’m based in Toronto. During four days in Boston last week at the CCM Hockey House, the Nylander topic was a focal point among hockey’s top influencers. The bag he’s going to get should be impressive and I’m not quite sure how the Leafs let him walk.

Nylander’s price tag initially last summer started with a $10 followed by six more zeroes, while the Leafs were in the $8.5 million to $9 million neighbourhood. I’m not convinced any of those numbers are in the ballpark, anymore.

Maybe he takes around $10.5 million per season on an eight-year term, but speaking to those around the NHL, he might be pricing himself in the $11 million range.

Nylander, 27, registered 40 goals and 87 points last season and had 34 goals and 80 points in 2021-22. He has been consistently trending upwards and if he cracks 40-50 or more goals this season and gets to the 100-point plateau, his price tag is going to jump that much more, especially if he hits the open market as an unrestricted free agent.

Talks between the Leafs and Nylander’s camp haven’t been shut down, but neither side is saying anything right now. I can see an eight-year, $88 million deal work for No.88, and the Maple Leafs should be able to stomach that.

What about Nylander’s countryman Elias Pettersson?

He’s tied with teammates J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes for the NHL points lead with 28 – Nylander’s right behind them at 27. He’s in the final year of his contract, though is eligible for restricted free agent status next July.

At 25 and with a 102-point season already under his belt, Pettersson’s also poised for a mega contract if he continues playing at his current pace.

But how much will the Vancouver Canucks be willing to stomach?

Pettersson put contract talks on hold over the summer so he could focus on his off-season training in preparation for what he anticipated to be a breakthrough season in Vancouver for the Canucks. The Canucks are one point out of first place in the Pacific Division and they’re getting contributions up and down the lineup; Brock Boeser has found his scoring touch, Filip Hronek is proving why management paid a solid price for him, and Thatcher Demko has returned to his old form.

Things are going swimmingly in Vancouver and fans will be even more excited once Pettersson puts pen to paper. However, given his RFA position, the sense of urgency does not need to be very high right now. Pettersson’s agents at CAA can focus on contract talks while he remains zoned in on the ice. But his price tag is jumping, probably more than Nylander’s, and according to a well-placed source close to the situation, there haven’t been any recent meaningful contract discussions between the two sides.

Pettersson is on pace for 35 goals and 86 assists for 120 points. We can guestimate some regression as the season moves along, but he’s surely set to hit/surpass 100 points again. If he does, he’ll achieve three straight 30+ goal seasons and two consecutive 100+ point campaigns all by 25 years young. Does his annual average value start with a $12, followed by six more zeroes?

The term Pettersson and the Canucks agree to will play a factor in how much money he will earn each season, but a long-term contract worth around $12 million per season seems to be in the ballpark. If there is a long-term marriage, I’m sure ownership won’t object too hard.

GLOBAL EXPANSION

The NHL enjoyed another successful Global Series event in Stockholm and between the four games in Sweden and two preseason games in Melbourne, Australia in September, the League is poised to make another splash next season.

As we reported at the start of the season, the plan is to return to Finland in the 2024-25 season with two regular-season games, but those may not be the only NHL Global Series games in Europe. Germany is also expected to take on a pair of games next season.

If the NHL goes to two European cities, they could play within the same timeframe in either October or November 2024, or be spread out over separate months. The scheduling could depend on whether the NHL plans on having pre-season games in another market.

There has been talk of playing pre-season games in Mexico City in September 2024 dating back to the summer and those discussions seem to be ongoing. I believe we’ll see the NHL return to Australia, likely in the 2025-26 campaign, and that could result in a pair of games in Mexico next fall.

The NHL has attracted a lot of interest in several other European nations, such as Norway, France, Switzerland and Italy – don’t be surprised to see a pair of games in Milan prior to or after the 2026 Winter Olympics – while other countries have reached out, as well. Talks over games in Abu Dhabi have been put on the backburner for the time being.

ALL-STAR AFFAIR

NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto in February is going to have a lot of bells and whistles – even aside from the events TFP will be hosting.

The NHL is going BIG for its mid-season event and that includes a specific adjustment to elements of the All-Star format, from what I’m told. I won’t spoil the beans and let the League announce this one, but it includes a fan-attended televised event Thursday, Feb. 1, a day prior to the Skills Competition. Personally, I’m pretty excited about this one.

I believe we’re still on track to see some PWHL action around the weekend festivities, beyond player participation in the NHL Skills Competition.

In addition to the on ice and on-air hoopla, several parties and events will be sweeping the city every night. Aside from NHL’s own nightly events, there is a big opening night party featuring Justin Bieber and Drake, with other stars and celebrities partaking in other events throughout the weekend. Sports Illustrated is putting on a shindig on the Friday night, there is a big celebration scheduled for Saturday night, and all kinds of events sprinkled in between.

As one person entrenched in Toronto’s entertainment scene described to me, the city will have a very similar vibe to the Toronto International Film Festival that occurs every September. I’m looking forward to it – not so much the traffic, though.

HERE AND THERE

• The Edmonton Oilers still haven’t spoken with the Philadelphia Flyers this season about goaltender Carter Hart, despite some reports to the contrary.

• Patrick Kane Watch 2023 is still on, but it should be ending within the next week or so. Kane’s camp is expected to notify teams of his decision starting this week, so we should begin to gain some clarity on his future. Given the concern over his injury/surgery, he could link up with a club on a one-year, incentive-laden deal.

• The Columbus Blue Jackets are last in the Eastern Conference and the assembled club just isn’t working. Sure, some blame can go in Head Coach Pascal Vincent’s direction and injuries are starting to pile up, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen may be starting to feel a little bit of heat.

• With the Montreal Canadiens engaged in contract extension discussions with goalie Sam Montembeault, does Jake Allen’s availability increase as the season progresses?

• I wonder how long Jay Woodcroft will be out of a job for. He’s still under contract through the 2025-26 season, but some teams contemplating a future coaching change will have interest.