I don't mind Nylander's 7/8 year contract if we were to acquire him. Much like Huberdeau's contract, I would rather pay a good amount of money for an elite player rather than paying out a lot of cap on people like Lucic, Coleman (I don't like his contract, even though he's a serviceable player).
By the time the new deal kicks in, we have Hanifin/Backlund likely gone, still unsure about Lindholm. We would just be paying out a lot of money for the top forwards, and little left to round out the roster. However, that does force us to use effective ELC players.
Treliving was a "wizard" when managing the cap, getting excellent RFA signings done. He was great at negotiating when the ball is in his court. However, that quickly became a double-edge sword when he started to make ridiculous signings like Neal, Brouwer, etc.
By the time the hypothetical Nylander deal starts, Markstrom would have 2 years left, Coleman 3, and Mangiapane 1. What will likely not happen is having Lindholm and Nylander on the same team when you look at the cap bind we are in, so pick your poison. Personally, I would like Nylander on this team since he has always been the #4 guy in Toronto, whether that is fair or not. I'd like to see him and Huberdeau together.
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