My Take
I hate to say it, but William Nylander is the best trade chip the Toronto Maple Leafs hold in their hands. Nylander has a friendly contract, dollars worth, Nylander brings a lot of offensive talent to the ice considering for what he’s paid.
From a selling perspective, Nylander’s worth would be at it’s highest at the trade deadline, which could bring in assets to help the Toronto Maple Leafs build a contending team for the upcoming season.
His 27 goals on the season, ranking 16th in the league tied with Kane, easily makes him the most coveted offensive asset when made available at the deadline.
The potential return for Nylander makes a potential trade worth considering, a player such as Manson from the Anaheim Ducks would be instantly available. The dilemma, however, with a potential Nylander trade is that he’s not easily replaced.
Nylander brings the unique quality that he makes other players better, that’s something Toronto needs to cherish and think about before considering a trade. Remember what happened to the first powerplay unit when Nylander was moved there? Right, they became effective.
To move forward, the Toronto Maple Leafs might need to make a big move that could possibly see one of the big 4 shipped out, with Tavares and Matthews being untouchable that leaves Marner and Nylander, in which case Nylander would be the most attractive contract to trade for.
However, Dubas should keep in mind what he would be giving up when trading William Nylander.