Toronto gave every GM candidate the same non-negotiable demand and Matthews and Nylander are at the
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Despite who is hired for the Toronto Maple Leafs GM position has one priority put upon them from MLSE which is keeping both Matthews and Nylander in town.
Whoever does end up coming in will have quite the laundry list of tasks ahead of them, as they will need to presumably find a new head coach, make some serious roster changes and make sure that Auston Matthews is on board with their decisions.
Keeping the captain and his sidekick in town is top priority for the Maple Leafs GM
However it seems like Matthews’ priorities aren’t the only thing they need to worry about though they do play heavily into what’s to come next.
Keeping captain Auston Matthews and star forward William Nylander in Toronto has been noted in [management] interviews as a priority for MLSE.
That’s not too surprising given how much money and time has been invested in both, but the fact that Pelley and company are essentially forcing the GM to make the right calls of the bat is nothing short of intimidating.
Matthews is going to be the interesting factor in all this as it seems like Nylander is here for the long haul regardless. If they can find a way to offer promises they can actually keep, it’ll go a long way in making sure the captain wants to keep leading the team past 2028.
What does the new management team need to do then?
Well first and foremost, sit down and talk to both men about what they need in order to be successful. Odds are both will say there needs to be an onus on adding some real puck-moving defenders and guys who they can rely on the spark the offence.
Then you have to look at who both players need on their lines. Matthews would love to have a more consistent playmaker and also someone who can ease the defensive and physical load; an Alex Tuch for example.Nylander doesn’t necessarily need a playmaker because he can generate offence on his own, but will need a replacement for John Tavares as it’s hard to rely on him playing 2C at 35 years old. If they can find a strong two-way centre with some youth then they could be the one-two punch Toronto’s second line needs.
Finally it’s about finding a coach who can maximize their strengths. Matthews and Nylander are both offensive-first players despite how good Matthews is defensively; his strength lies in goal-scoring.
Getting a voice who can motivate and properly distribute their minutes and rely on the pieces brought in to help fill those gaps will be crucial to making sure both men want to be here � and make sure that decision is the right one.
There’s a lot that the new team has to do in order to appease their top two stars, but if they can all get on track with the same vision it could be all speed ahead next year and beyond.
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Toronto gave every GM candidate the same non-negotiable demand and Matthews and Nylander are at the centre
Will the new GM of the Maple Leafs make sure Nylander and Matthews are happy?