The Toronto Maple Leafs and their standoff with restricted free agent William Nylander continues and it still doesn't seem like either side are close to a deal. Nylander remains in Europe while Kasperi Kapanen has taken his spot on the Leafs' first line riding shotgun with Auston Matthews. While some might say that Kapenen having success with Matthews could put pressure on Nylander to lower his demands, it doesn't seem to be the case. NHL insider Darren Dreger appeared on TSN radio recently and stated that Nylander and his camp which includes his father, are standing pat on the $8million a season demands. "Until they get into a real gritty type of negotiation, the stalemate isn't going to end. One side is locked in in the low sixes, from what we understand, and the other side being Willie Nylander is still eight plus. Well that's too wide a gap to get solved in three, four or five games. I think it might need a bit more time, unless Nylander just says 'Dad, I don't want to hear from you for a while. Lewis Gross, you're my agent, I need $6.4MM per year or I need this much on a bridge deal, go and get it done.' That didn't happen in the last day or so."
Dreger stated that the stance remains that neither side is at all interested in a bridge deal.
