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TORONTO — William Nylander never has been much for words.

And it didn’t take many for the Maple Leafs‘ winger to explain why he agreed to an eight-year, $92 million contract on Monday that will have him skipping free agency this summer to stick in Toronto for the bulk of his career.

“This has been home for me,” said Nylander, in typical simplistic fashion. “This is the longest I’ve ever spent in one place in my entire life. It’s funny, the other day I was talking to a friend, and I said, ‘and then we go home’ in referring to Toronto. Without even thinking about it, this was home.”

The Calgary-born, Sweden-raised Nylander can now start seriously planting some roots. The fresh contract extension kicks in next season to carry him through 2032 and comes replete with a full no-movement clause. It’s also the richest total value deal Toronto has ever offered a player, underscoring the treasured position Nylander has come to hold within the organization.

It was the Leafs who drafted Nylander eighth overall in 2014 and they’ve since shepherded the robustly talented forward through years of inconsistency to eventually have him develop into one of the NHL’s premier wingers.

That evolution earned Nylander a paycheck on par with the Leafs’ other vaunted core players — namely Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Mitch Marner — and those four skaters will now eat up over $40 million of Toronto’s cap space next year. It’s a major endowment from Leafs’ brass, and one Nylander claims he and his teammates appreciate.

“I think it’s huge as a player to feel that [management is] really investing in the core and betting on us,” he said. “And I think that we feel the same way. That’s ultimately why I wanted to stay here for eight years was I wanted to give it a run to try to win the [Stanley] Cup. Before I signed here [I said] how important that was to me. I know what our group is capable of. We have some stretches throughout the season that you guys might not think it, but I know what we’re able to do. I know myself and all the other guys in the core. We’ve all grown.”

No one more than Nylander himself. The 27-year-old has produced 198 goals and 484 points through 558 NHL games to date, and this season has been Nylander’s greatest opening act. He’s already produced a franchise-record 17-game point streak to start the year (complete with 12 goals and 27 points) and is currently fifth overall in NHL scoring with 21 goals and 54 points in 37 games.

It took years for Nylander to reach that elite pinnacle in his play. Leafs’ coach Sheldon Keefe knows the process he went through to get there better than anyone. He’s been with Nylander from the beginning, coaching him as a 19-year-old with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies and at the NHL level since 2019. All along Keefe’s been pulling and pushing to get the best out of Nylander on a nightly basis. It was last year when Keefe started seeing the fruits of their combined efforts in helping Nylander ascend to his loftiest heights yet.

“He’s spoken a lot about being a top player in the league and being relied upon in all situations for our team and that’s been his ambition,” said Keefe. “He has done the work and I think he’s grown a tremendous amount. He’s on another level this season and to me the way that he takes care of his body on and off the ice and the internal motivation that he has and the drive to help our team win, we’re pretty excited to coach this version of Willie that he’s evolved into over the years.”

Whether this early success ultimately drove up the asking price for Nylander’s services long-term was a relatively moot point for Leafs’ general manager Brad Treliving when negotiating the new deal. Despite speculation that Nylander might have been less expensive to extend over the summer, Treliving said the bottom line was both sides had a goal in mind and were able to find common ground.

“When you have the starting point of a player that wants to be here, and a team that wants to keep him, usually you can get it done,” said Treliving. “Listen, it’s a big contract. It’s a lot of money. And so you go through that process, but I don’t if there was ever an ‘aha moment.’ You arm wrestle. You go through it. But I don’t think there was ever a time where we felt we weren’t going to get to the finish line.”

This is the second massive contract Treliving has finalized since replacing Kyle Dubas last spring as Toronto’s GM. He previously inked Matthews to a four-year, $53 million extension in August to keep him from reaching free agency in 2024, and now Treliving has Nylander locked in, too. Doling out big paydays to a few players — especially when Toronto hasn’t had the playoff success in recent years to back up that strategy — has naturally called into question how the Leafs will manage their limited cap space scenario from here.

Treliving’s stance seemed to be taking it one day — or one contract — at a time.

“Certainly, there’s always challenges, right?” he said. “And I think all we can do is tackle these things when they come up. I got here [as GM] and Auston was the priority. Auston and Willie were both going into their final years. We were able to get those done. And now you see what’s next on the list, right? You’re going to have a cap that increases, but we’re also not blind to the fact that there’s other areas of our team as we move forward that you have to improve. And we’ll continue to do that. But for right now, we got a really good player signed [today].”

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Panthers’ Luostarinen ejected after check in 1st

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Panthers' Luostarinen ejected after check in 1st

SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen was ejected from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals after a boarding major against forward Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes.

With 3:01 left in the first period, Blake was chasing the puck back in his own zone with Luostarinen behind him. As Luostarinen reached out with his stick, Blake stopped short of the boards and Luostarinen hit through him. Luostarinen drove Blake’s head into the boards, bloodying the Carolina forward.

The on-ice officials gave Luostarinen a five-minute major and then reviewed the hit. They confirmed the call on the ice. Per NHL Rule 41.5, when a major penalty for boarding is called, a game misconduct is automatic. A major penalty for boarding is determined by “the degree of violence of the impact with the boards.”

Luostarinen was tied for the team lead with 13 points entering Game 3, with 4 goals and 9 assists. He scored 12 of those points on the road. Blake returned to action in the second period.

The Panthers lead the series 2-0 and had a 1-0 lead in Game 3 when the major penalty was called.

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Fantasy baseball: What to expect from Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer

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Fantasy baseball: What to expect from Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer

Boston Red Sox SS prospect Marcelo Mayer is getting the call to the major leagues, as starting 3B Alex Bregman (calf) is headed to the injured list. Fantasy managers should not expect Mayer, 22, to replace Bregman’s excellent numbers (.938 OPS), but he should see opportunity for playing time over the likes of Nick Sogard and Abraham Toro. Mayer is an excellent defensive shortstop, but he has played second base and third base at Triple-A Worcester as well this season.

Ranked No. 6 in Kiley McDaniels’ recently updated top 50 prospect rankings, Mayer hit .265/.342/.465 over 43 games and 193 plate appearances at Triple-A, with 9 home runs, 43 RBI and 2 stolen bases. The No. 4 pick in the 2021 amateur draft, Mayer hits left-handed, makes solid contact and drew a 10.4% walk rate this season. There is power upside, but as with most prospects, fantasy managers should keep initial expectations well in check.

Everyone loves the prospects until they reach the majors and alter their narrative (as most do). Chicago Cubs rookie IF Matt Shaw struggled earlier this season and was sent back to Triple-A, though he has returned to the majors. Arizona Diamondbacks SS Jordan Lawlar remains hitless in the majors this season. New Red Sox teammate Kristian Campbell is hitting .225 with a 27% strikeout rate. Hitting big league pitching can be problematic even for long-time veterans. In ESPN’s shallow standard leagues, with no middle infield spot and only nine active hitting spots, it is tough to make an argument to rush out and add Mayer. At the time of the promotion announcement, he was available in 94% of ESPN standard leagues.

Those needing to replace Bregman at third base should look at the Texas RangersJosh Jung and Jake Burger, and the Philadelphia PhilliesAlec Bohm, proven players with job security. For those looking at adding Mayer as their shortstop, Angels star Zach Neto somehow remains available in 71% of leagues, and he certainly comes recommended over Mayer, as does Colorado Rockies starter Ezequiel Tovar. Mayer will likely hit near the bottom of the Boston lineup. If he hits well, he might move up, and he might keep his roster spot even when Bregman returns to health.

It is exciting when one of the top prospects in the sport earns a promotion, but hitting a baseball against top pitching can be challenging for all. Those in deeper formats can make a better case to add Mayer and hope for the best.

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Sources: Red Sox call up heralded prospect Mayer

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Sources: Red Sox call up heralded prospect Mayer

The Boston Red Sox are calling up infielder Marcelo Mayer, the No. 6 prospect in baseball and a central part of their future who they hope can play a role in their push for a postseason berth this year, sources told ESPN.

Mayer, 22, who has excelled at shortstop as he ascended through the Red Sox’s farm system after they took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is likely to get playing time with All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman expected to land on the injured list after leaving Friday’s game with right quadriceps tightness.

At Triple-A Worcester, where Mayer was hitting .271/.347/.471 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs in 43 games, he played four games at third base. Mayer also could see time at shortstop, with Trevor Story in a profound monthlong slump.

The arrival of Mayer marks the second of Boston’s big three prospects, with Kristian Campbell earning the second-base job in spring training. After a hot start, Campbell has slumped likewise and is hitting .225/.321/.369. The third of the group, outfielder Roman Anthony, is the No. 1 prospect in MLB, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, and is hitting .323/.455/.513 with six home runs and 18 RBIs at Triple-A.

The loss of Bregman, who is hitting .299/.385/.553 in his first year with the Red Sox, takes an MVP-caliber bat out of a lineup that has struggled. The Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas for the season to a ruptured tendon in his left knee and have struggled to find a productive fill-in, amplifying calls for the team to reach into its significant minor league depth.

Boston has taken Mayer’s development slowly, with injuries limiting him to 91 games in 2022, 78 games in 2023 and 77 games last year. He is a career .273/.360/.466 hitter in 315 minor league games and projects to be a middle-of-the-order bat and Boston’s long-term solution at shortstop.

Bregman’s contract includes an opt-out after the 2025 season, opening the possibility of a shift to third for Mayer. At 6-foor-3 and 190 pounds, he has both the size and the arm strength typically sought for the position. But his glove at shortstop is regarded as above average, and Boston could opt to move Story off the position for Mayer or Ceddanne Rafaela, who also plays center field for the Red Sox.

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