Maple Leafs Face Interesting Wrinkle for the First Time in the Matthews, Marner, Nylander Era
The Maple Leafs have enjoyed a lot of regular season success during the Matthews, Marner, Nylander era, but last night marked an interesting first for the trio.
After a disappointing season opener that saw the Maple Leafs drop a 1-0 decision to the Montreal Canadiens and allow Habs goalie Sam Montembeault to set an NHL record at their expense, the Leafs got into the win column on Thursday with a gutsy win over the New Jersey Devils and former Leafs bench boss Sheldon Keefe.
Despite pulling off the win to move to 1-1-0 on the season, the Leafs have failed to receive any goal contributions from any of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. This was the first time since these 3 players arrived in the NHL that all of them were unable to produce a goal within the first two games of the season, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
Both Auston Matthews and William Nylander began new contracts at the start of this season -- Matthews, a 4-year pact worth $13.25M per season and Nylander, the largest contract in Maple Leafs franchise history, an 8-year agreement worth $11.5M per season. While both have had their opportunities early, they have been unable to convert, but that doesn't mean that it's time to be concerned. Both players are world class talents and elite shooters. The goals will come.
Marner, on the other hand, is entering this season without a contract extension in place. If his contract demands are as high as some believe, he could literally be playing for his job in Toronto. A less productive season could equal a much lower offer from the Leafs, which could ultimately force him to go to the open market next summer.
The Leafs are now back in Toronto in anticipation of Saturday's home opener against former GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The energy will be high for this one and if I were a betting man, I'd put my money on 2 of Matthews, Nylander and Marner finding the back of the net after an unproductive start to the season.
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2 HOURS AGO | 157 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Face Interesting Wrinkle for the First Time in the Matthews, Marner, Nylander Era Which of Matthews, Marner and Nylander will score first this season? | ||
