William Nylander has until December 1 to reach a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, otherwise he will have to spend the year outside the NHL.
If that becomes the case, one option for Nylander will be the KHL, where his rights are held by Avangard, who drafted him in the second round of the 2013 KHL Draft. Avangard head coach Bob Hartley, formerly of the Calgary Flames, said Sunday he expects Nylander to stay in the NHL, but would welcome him to Russia with open arms.
"I would love to see him in our team. I coached his father in Zurich, and William himself is a great player, even though he is sitting without a contract," Hartley told Russia's Sport-Express, per Google Translate.
"While I do not have a specific answer to your question, I think his main goal is to play in the NHL. I hope he will sign the contract and will play in the NHL."