The Toronto Maple Leafs signed William Nylander to an eight-year $92M extension

The GIST: The rumors were, in fact, true. Longtime Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored the biggest total value payday in Leafs history on Monday, signing an eight-year, $92M contract extension — with an average annual value (AAV) of $11.5M — that will begin next season.

The context: Currently sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division, the Leafs are certainly getting their money’s worth with the Swede, who leads the team in points (54) and is second in goals (21) behind center Auston Matthews, the highest paid NHLer by AAV.

• At this rate, Willy Styles is on pace to top the career-highs that he set last season when he recorded 40 goals, 47 assists, and 87 points in 82 games.

The salary cap implications: After signing Nylander and Matthews to massive contract extensions, Toronto will spend about $47.75M on their Core Four (which also includes captain John Tavares and right winger Mitch Marner) next season. The league salary cap is expected to jump to $87.7M, leaving the Buds with just over $23M in cap space next year.

• If 2024 isn’t “the year,” only time will tell if new general manager Brad Treliving’s strategy will help end the Leafs’ 56-year Stanley Cup dry spell, the longest active drought.