Maple Leafs' $92 Million Forward Makes Unexpected Early Return

Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs can criticize forward and member of the Core Four William Nylander all they want, but the truth is that the superstar couldn't put on a stronger effort gearing up for next season.

Nylander has made an early return to Canada, much sooner than many anticipated, in order to participate in a photoshoot for Sherwood Hockey and the release of a new hockey stick labeled "Feather Lite XT."

This move, while not directly related to an early return to the Leafs training facilities, could lead to the forward getting into the rink earlier than expected and ahead of training camp at the start of September, kickstarting his preparations for the 2024-25 season.

In a post on its official Instagram account, the Sherwood Hockey PR team wrote "Optimal balance. Optimal feel. Featherlite XT Technology. #CodeEncrypt #TeamSherwood" along with a picture of Nylander handling the new stick.

Nylander had a standout season last year scoring 40 goals and a career-high 98 points without missing a single game of the 82 regular-season contest played by the Leafs.

The older of the Nylander brothers, who was joined by Alexander earlier this season following his addition to the Leafs organization , has been maintaining his physical conditioning throughout the summer .

Nylander signed a humongous eight-year, $92 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs running through the 2031-32 season. Showing this type of commitment to Toronto certainly fits such a large contract and what Nylander represents for the franchise.

Related: Maple Leafs Brothers Together in Sweden Enjoying Terrific Offseason