NHL superstar set a tough condition for Toronto - otherwise, he will leave!

William Nylander leaves no room for interpretation regarding his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Swedish superstar is ready to continue with the team, but only if the team continues to fight for the Stanley Cup and does not embark on a full rebuild.

Nylander shared his perspective referring to a conversation he had before the trade deadline with the team’s then-GM Brad Treliving.

– Brad said he doesn’t want any rebuild. The aim is just to tweak the team a bit. That sounded good to me, Nylander tells The Athletic.

According to him, this approach will determine what his own future in Toronto looks like. A lighter reorganization is an acceptable option, but a complete change in direction is not.

– If it were a complete rebuild and everything was to be changed, that would be a different situation. Then we would have to have that conversation.

Nylander also emphasized that with the current direction, he still sees himself as part of the team.

– If it’s just some kind of tweaking, then I still want to be here.

The 29-year-old winger signed an eight-year, $92 million contract in 2024, of which six seasons are still remaining.

However, the situation is also open for other stars. The team captain Auston Matthews has not yet taken a clear stance on the organization’s direction, but is having discussions with the team’s management before making his own decisions.

Nylander also could not say whether Matthews’ potential decision would affect his own plans.

– I haven’t really thought about it that far… if that situation comes up, I’ll think about it then.