The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs and forward William Nylander are far apart on an extension for the 27-year-old star.

Despite the current status quo of the negotiations, it would remain in the best interest of both the team and the player to come to an agreement on a new deal.

Above all else, Nylander is a star player who accounted for 40 goals, 47 assists and his best shooting percentage since the 2015-16 season. Five of those goals were game winners, reflecting his ability to deliver in big spots.

It would be incredibly difficult to find a replacement that can account for all that

Letting him walk as an unrestricted free agent would be a massive mistake for the Leafs' front office and should be considered out of the question.