Treliving: Leafs would prefer clarity on Matthews, Nylander before July 1

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving would welcome knowing where things stand contractually with Auston Matthews and William Nylander before free agency opens, but he understands that may not be possible.

"The sooner, the better, right? I mean, the idea is when you know where things are at, you plan better," Treliving said Tuesday. "When you know if it's going to be raining tomorrow, maybe you pack a jacket. So having clarity always helps. Is it the be-all, end-all? No, you've got two sides that are going to play a piece of this puzzle. So we certainly would like (clarity); we're certainly trying to work toward that."

Treliving noted that it won't be the end of the world if he can't get the duo re-upped on the first day or even the first month they're both eligible to sign extensions.

"(On) July 1, the world doesn't stop. I feel very confident ... we're going to get both players signed until proven otherwise and, hopefully, it's July," the GM said. "If it's not, then we'll keep working away at it."

Matthews is on the books through next season with a cap hit of $11,640,250, according to CapFriendly. He took a step backward offensively this past season after piling up a league-best 60 goals alongside 46 assists over 73 games in 2021-22. The American superstar won the Hart Trophy that spring and also claimed the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for the second consecutive campaign. His totals decreased in 2022-23, where he buried 40 goals and 45 helpers across 74 contests.

Nylander, who can also become an unrestricted free agent next summer, has a contract with an average annual value of $6,962,366. He and Matthews tied for the team lead in goals this past season, though Nylander required eight more games to accomplish the feat.

Both forwards have been with the Maple Leafs for their entire careers. Toronto drafted Matthews first overall in 2016, two years after selecting Nylander with the No. 8 pick.