This is not where these two sides wanted to be.



William Nylander wanted to be playing, weeks ago, on a long-term contract. The Maple Leafs wanted one of their top young stars signed long term and in the lineup.



This has been a difficult situation to get a read on, as neither camp wants to put much information out there. But what I’ve been able to discern after talking to as many sources as possible is there’s a great deal of frustration over the bargaining positions, on both ends.



From the beginning, there was a push to go long term. Leafs GM Kyle Dubas likes the player, and the player wants to stay. But what has made this negotiation so difficult is that there are a very wide range of comparables out there that make sense.



The team, obviously, has gone with the lower ones (like Nikolaj Ehlers’ seven-year contract with a cap hit of $6-million).



The player and his agent have gone with the higher ones (like Leon...