Heading into training camp, one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs is the future of William Nylander. After crashing out of the playoffs, there were some rumors they could potentially break up this core and trade Nylander, but that didn't happen.

However, the Swede is heading into a contract year and will be looking for a new deal. And in the eyes of John Tavares, there is no better place than Toronto for Nylander to play for many years to come.

Via Chris Johnston:

“John Tavares says he believes pending UFA William Nylander was “built to play in Toronto.”

“We love him here.”

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving also made it clear the priority is to re-sign Nylander:

“Obviously it's a priority. We want to get Willy signed.”

Nylander becomes a free agent next summer. Last week, Treliving also mentioned there is interest on both sides to get a deal done. Via Leafs Nation:

“Willy is a really important player and a really good player, and we want to get him done, too. That’s next on the list. I’m not going to get into the play-by-play of it other than to say he’s a very good player and you always want to keep the good players. And he’s told me he wants to be in Toronto. That’s the most important thing. If there’s a desire on both sides, then you should be able to come to an agreement. But these things take time. They’re all their own independent deals, and they have their own ebbs and flows.”

Nylander finished with 40 goals and 47 assists in 2022-23. He was tied with Auston Matthews in scoring. Needless to say, the 27-year-old is an important piece of this Maple Leafs group.