Babcock not begging Nylander to sign: 'It's a privilege to be here'

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock hasn't been shy expressing his belief that William Nylander will return to the team, but he isn't getting desperate as the stalemate nears a potential conclusion.

Babcock acknowledged Friday that he has spoken to Nylander this season but said, "We're not begging anyone to be a Leaf. That's not what we're doing at all. It's a privilege to be here, for me and for everybody else," according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly also said Nylander's absence hasn't been a distraction for the team.

"It's not even anything we think about," Rielly told reporters, including TSN's Mark Masters. "It's not anything we really talk about. If he's here in a few days, then great. If not, we're in the same position we are right now, and we feel pretty good about it so we're not overly worried."

Babcock has conveyed his confidence about Nylander multiple times over the last couple weeks. The deadline for the 22-year-old to ink a contract for this season is Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. ET. He'll be forced to sit out the remainder of the campaign if no deal is reached by then.

Nylander has yet to appear in a game this season due to the contract impasse.