Enough Leafs Nation, the Maple Leafs should NOT trade William Nylander
Maple Leaf McSween here to settle down parts of Leafs Nation along with Dean, Jimmy and Gonzo. During Friday’s roundtable episode – #197 of the podcast we discussed trading William Nylander. They were all for it, I said no. Willy goes out and buries two beauties vs the Rangers on Friday night. Coincidence, I think not.
BUT – what if you can get Colton Parayko back in return…NO
BUT – what if Wayne Simmonds and Sami Vatanen come the other way…NO
BUT – what if it helps free up money this offseason for some moves….NO
As much as William Nylander can be a space cadet in his own zone, or take a game or two ‘off’, there would be no chance I would trade him. The contract dispute, along with his willingness to go into the corners, makes Willy a polarizing figure in Toronto and an easy target for Leafs Nation’s hate.
When Willy plays like shit, everyone tries to tell him about it, and when he snipes a couple of beauties and dominates a game with ease, there’s me and two of my buddies left applauding. Oh, and this guy doesn’t mind him on his wing, so there’s that too.
I probably wouldn't consider splitting these two up. pic.twitter.com/npO31yly82
— Nick DeSouza (@NickDeSouza_) December 21, 2019
Willy is on pace for 30 goals and is heating up quick. He’s slowly playing himself into his contract and will make Leafs Nation forget about how much money he makes in no time. Who cares, really? Is it your money?
The Leafs are doing everything they can under Sheldon Keefe to steer the ship in the right direction, and what we saw last night in the Big Apple is Nylander is an absolute stud in this league. Stop chirping Willy for what he isn’t and let’s start appreciating how skilled and talented he is. Phil Kessel never hit anyone or went into the corner, his two Stanley Cup rings plug his ears when you chirp. And let’s be honest here, he’s a man-rocket too, with some hair I would die for.
Most importantly though, Auston Matthews loves playing with him and if these two can build, and become one of the best one-two punches in the NHL, perhaps Matthews won’t head to Arizona for his next contract, and he and Willy can go down as the best Maple Leafs combo of all-time.
Let that sink in, Leafs Nation. It hurts, doesn’t it?
https://twitter.com/LeafsAllDayy/status/1208205919353524224?s=20
icymi – here’s the latest podcast with me trying to convince the crew to keep willy!
Shug McSween
Shug McSween is a veteran here at DeanBlundell.com and has been contributing since day one. A sports nut with a sophisticated opinion, expect McSween to cover any and everything he's passionate about. When he's not busy writing and editing for our crew, McSween likes to get away via fairways and greens. He also contributes to The Hockey Writers, NHLTradeRumors.me and BballRumors.com
