If The Maple Leafs Can’t Sign William Nylander, Kyle Dubas May Send Him Packing To The West Coast
Tick tock.
Everybody and their mother felt William Nylander was close to signing a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs weeks ago. One person even told me it was done, guess not, eh. That happens, things fall through, fathers continue to make outrageous demands and all you can do is gather your thoughts, collect the new info, analyze and move on.
December 1st is fast approaching and Kyle Dubas has a decision to make.
How much does he value William Nylander and at the same time, conclude your findings on what Nylander’s value is on the trade market.
So, meet demands or pull the trigger, pick one Dube.
Doing nothing is also an option, however, not entertaining at all.
We were all informed a few days ago that the Maple Leafs sent out a memo to the league, asking for names of the ‘would’ and ‘would not’s’.
A starting point to the league-wide conversations has now been established, let the speculation begin.
For one I am curious to know how many times Dubas asks for someone who isn’t on the ‘available’ list, negotiate your heart out kid – in Dube we trust.
IF, the Maple Leafs don’t get Willy signed, (still feels like 50/50 at this point) which is crazy to think as it was close to pen on paper only weeks ago, let’s do a quick glance at some potential return coming the other way.
Things to consider:
It’s a Drew Doughty that the Maple Leafs would deal Nylander to an Eastern Conference team. Sure, it could happen, but for today, let’s just assume western conference.
Willy is an impact player and was expected to be producing 60 plus points on the wing of the Maple Leafs’ first line, trading Willy for a top prospect who isn’t ready for the show doesn’t make a ton of sense. The window is now, pedal to the floor. So let’s assume if the Dubas pulls the trigger it’s for a player currently active in the NHL.
Let’s go for a browse:
Chicago: Nothing too appealing on their list. Cap issues of their own and if they traded a young piece for Willy they would have to unload a contract somehow, and it’s unlikely Dubas would accept a bad contract as he’s dealing a potential superstar. So if a 3-way deal was in play, names like Alex DeBrincat and Chris Kunitz would be a nice haul. Again, given the circumstances, Chi-town isn’t likely.
Colorado: A team with a ton of cap space and a bit top heavy, however, unless the Leafs are taking back an overpaid d-man, the Avs don’t appear like a match. Tyson Jost would be a name worth mentioning but unlikely to be on the move out of the mountain tops. Erik Johnson is a piece worth a sentence or two, only if the Avs eat some of Johnson’s contract, and even that’s risky for the Buds. Moving on, cause, I always thought the Rocky Mountains would be a little more rockier.
Dallas: No cap space left from the likes of Seguin and Benn eating most of it. Their D is underrated, a bit banged up, and likely not going anywhere. Nichushkin is way to risky and a package around him isn’t near enough, nothing to see here.
Minnesota: Matthew Dumba, are you a fan of Blue and White? Hard to believe the Wild would let go of Dumba, but the same was said about Seth Jones. These types of deals do happen and have happened lately, so there’s a chance it could. If you’re creeping on the Dubas wish list, Dumba’s name has to be a name near the top. If Dumba isn’t available, perhaps names like Brodin and Zucker tickle the fancy.
Nashville: Some cap space and a GM who isn’t shy. Would a deal for Austin Watson and Mattias Ekholm be worth thinking about? And a 2nd rounder? Who knows, but one thing I do know and love to share is PK Subban has more points than Shea Weber has games played for the Habs since the trade went down. Love it.
St Louis: A team who appears to be, once again, fragile. Every year it seems like something is going on, and the seat this year under the head coach is a bit warmer than usual. Consistent Goaltending seems to be a concern year after year, so a deal for a scoring winger may not be the actual fix they need. However, they have a GM who can appreciate bold moves, so this destination isn’t out of the question. Captain Alex isn’t available. Colton Parayko makes all the sense in the world, except to the rest of the Blues players. A move one for one would leave St Louis with a massive hole on their back end. I’ll just leave that one there. Would be a nice return for the Leafs but do you think the Blues would pull the trigger?
Winnipeg: Wildcard team for sure. Some cap space, and a lot of different looks on their roster. One deal that could make sense would be Jacob Trouba and Brendan Lemieux for Bill. Who hangs up first?
Anaheim: I’ll agree with Kyper on this one, Montour and Ritchie isn’t the worst deal. Manson is worthy of a look too. Manson and Silverberg instead? Gives them a core piece for the back end on a decent contract, and one year of Silverberg and options to even deal him at the deadline if it isn’t working out, or if it does, sign him long term. A decent match here with a long history of deals between the two clubs.
Arizona: Outside looking in, this team makes sense. A rebuilding squad with tons of room for Willy. Lawson Crouse and Jason Demers doesn’t seem like enough at all, does it? The rest of their core is likely untouchable. Clayton Keller isn’t going anywhere, so it appears the two young guns won’t be finalizing a deal anytime soon.
Calgary: James Neal is struggling, would the Leafs take a flyer on his contract. Doubtful. You would have to think Dubas doesn’t want a massive commitment in return, something with options and soon. Neal is locked in, Leafs would probably pass. TJ Brodie plus could be a start. No chance Willy for Tkachuk, right?
Edmonton: Gretzky chirps Nylander then the Oilers deal for him, a tad ironic. Darnell Nurse and Zack Kassian? Two names worth asking for, at least. Would help fill a couple gaps for the Leafs, it’s just unknown if Nurse would be available. That’s the fun part, we don’t know.
LA: One down, another one on deck? The Kings are bad, old, slow, and did I mention, bad, old and slow? More changes could be on the horizon and names like, Tyler Toffoli, Kyle Clifford, Jake Muzzin or Alec Martinez could be tossed around. A combination of those four could be in play. Dubas may explore Hollywood, and you have to think why wouldn’t he. Take advantage of the weak while you can, or something like that.
San Jose: Lead the way, Willy. Shark Tank you say? Certainly doesn’t feel like a landing spot as it would appear one blockbuster was enough, wasn’t it? Dubas would want Tomas Hertl? Hard match to sell here, doesn’t appear to be many bites in this tank.
Vancouver: The West Coast Surprise Story. I’m sure Elias Pettersson would love to play with Bill. Tanev is a band-aid and their a tad light up front for chips. Horvat is out of the question, so Kyle Dubas will take a pass. Visit, enjoy the view and head back east.
Vegas: The injury bug must have kept rolling snake eyes last year, and this year, the bug has finally figured out how to hit the jackpot. Injuries have taken a massive toll on the roster, and also the current likelihood of a major trade. They acquired Max Patio-Ready months ago, and another deal probably isn’t it the cards. Colin Miller and William Carrier? Raise the blinds, let’s get this game over with, not much to see at this table.
That concludes the western creep, if this saga continues we will dig a little deeper into the East.
Does Dubas pull the trigger soon?
Or, does one side decide it’s time to give in a little and close in on an agreement.
Adding William Nylander to the Maple Leafs is still Kyle Dubas #1 priority at the moment.
Ask him again in a couple weeks and his answer that time around may differ.
Tick tock, fellas.
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