from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

William Nylander keeps reminding the Toronto Maple Leafs how important he is to the team's success.

This should make his reportedly imminent whopper of a contract extension a little more digestible for the executives cutting those eight-figure cheques and a diehard fan base who studies salary-cap charts closer than box scores.

A few hours prior to Nylander's two-goal, six-shot performance Tuesday in the Maple Leafs' clean 3-0 road win over the Los Angeles Kings, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reported that 2024's most coveted impending unrestricted free agent had been engaged in positive negotiations with GM Brad Treliving.

In the works is the blueprint for an eight-year deal that would net the stud winger approximately $11.25 million annually and about $90 million in total — the same AAV that Nylander's friend, winger David Pastrnak, netted from Boston early in 2023 before his own bargain deal expired.

Elliotte Friedman added that the paperwork on a Nylander extension could be completed as early as this week, and that the team would prefer to take care of its top business priority before hosting the All-Star Game in February.

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