Opinion | Maple Leafs draft talk: the inside scoop on Nylander, Reaves and Karlsson ahead of NHL free agency

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —In the moments before the opening round of the NHL draft got underway at Bridgestone Arena, Brad Treliving could be seen weaving his way toward the exit with a backpack slung over his left shoulder.

Lest anyone think the Toronto Maple Leafs new general manager had decamped across the street at Tootsies, he returned immediately to the draft floor once his former employer used the 16th pick to select prospect Samuel Honzek.

This was a compromise reached with the Calgary Flames in exchange for them allowing Treliving to take the Toronto job prior to the expiry of his contract on June 30.

It produced an unusual first draft experience for Treliving with his new club, which only seemed fitting during an unusual Round 1 that included a feverish level of trade chatter between teams but no actual deals completed.

Still, the Leafs had a busy Wednesday. And they’re bracing for an active few days ahead.

Here’s a look inside where things stand:

Extensions for Kämpf and Holmberg

Treliving inherited a roster with 10 pending unrestricted free agents and managed to entice one of those players to avoid testing the market by signing David Kämpf to a four-year extension carrying a $2.4-million average annual value.

That was a meaningful bump on the $1.5 million he earned both of the previous two seasons and for the time being it makes Kämpf the only forward in the entire Leafs organization under contract through 2026-27.

He’s a versatile bottom-sixer that kills penalties and competes hard. He’s also one of the team’s best-conditioned athletes, which brings some added comfort when giving term to a 28-year-old.

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On a day when the Leafs also locked up depth centre Pontus Holmberg to a two-year extension carrying an $800,000 cap charge, you could start to see the kind of elements the new front office was focused on.

They’d like to add some beef to help navigate their way through the Atlantic Division and are believed to be interested in making a pitch for veteran winger Ryan Reaves when free agency opens Saturday.

Is William Nylander worth more than Timo Meier?

The William Nylander negotiations represent a critical component of the offseason. Absent significant progress toward an extension in the days ahead, Treliving and Co. must gauge what the trade market looks like.

While some might have viewed the eight-year extension Timo Meier received from New Jersey with an $8.8-million AAV as a potential roadmap for where Nylander could end up, that’s not believed to be how his camp sees the situation.

Nylander is coming off a season with 40 goals and 87 points — better than any year Meier has produced during his NHL career.

Not only does Nylander need to be mindful of a salary cap expected to finally resume making considerable jumps when his new contract starts in 2024, but he’s also cognizant of the pay gap that exists between him and teammates Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Mitch Marner.

Prediction: This won’t be an easy gap to bridge.

By comparison, the Matthews extension appears to be much more straightforward for Toronto to navigate. The Hart Trophy winner is certain to surpass Nathan MacKinnon’s league-leading AAV of $12.6 million — and a term between three and five years seems most likely — but Matthews isn’t expected to push his cap charge to the absolute limit because of the challenges that would create in filling out a championship contender around him.

Leafs staying in mix on Erik Karlsson

While we can include the Leafs on the relatively short list of NHL teams staying in the mix on Erik Karlsson, there’s no compelling evidence yet to suggest it’s anything more than due diligence from Treliving.

At this stage, it’s hard to imagine the Leafs GM engaging in meaningful trade discussions with the San Jose Sharks before getting clarity on where the Nylander and Matthews extension talks are going to end up.

Karlsson projects to be at least an $8-million player even with significant salary retention from San Jose in any potential deal, which establishes a fairly high barrier for entry before you even begin to contemplate what kind of assets it would take to add him.

The Leafs must first get their own house in order.

On the surface, the Seattle Kraken and Carolina Hurricanes appear to be in a more favourable position to pursue the three-time Norris Trophy winner. But things can change quickly. It sounds like Karlsson is at least open to waiving a no-movement clause if Toronto emerges as a viable destination.

Leafs reach for Easton Cowan

The Leafs owned the 28th pick in the first round and had options to trade backward to add to their draft capital on Wednesday night.

Instead, they chose to select Easton Cowan from the OHL’s London Knights.

That was much sooner than when the 18-year-old winger was projected to be taken and a sign of how strongly his blend of intelligence and doggedness appealed to the team’s scouts.

Cowan made significant strides in the back half of his draft year and put up 21 points in 20 playoff games for the Knights.

While he could have potentially been available in the second round or even the third round, the Leafs weren’t scheduled to pick again until the fifth. They showed some conviction by taking him when they did.

Cowan received a FaceTime call from Marner almost immediately after the pick was made and told reporters that he counted Nazem Kadri among the players he idolized while growing up.

As it turns out, they’re both former Knights who became Maple Leafs mainstays after being drafted in the first round.

That’s a path Cowan will aim to follow.

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