My take, again.
It might be unlikely the Toronto Maple Leafs will involve Nylander in a trade before the deadline, the profitable return might not be available to orchestrate a blockbuster trade Dubas would be looking for.
Not to mention that trading Nylander would be absolutely insane.
Meaning, for an effective trade before the deadline, Dubas needs to look for another trade chip, which could very likely be Alexander Kerfoot.
Playing his first season in Toronto after being acquired in the Nazem Kadri trade, Kerfoot has proven to be an excellent complementary depth piece, one that could be slotted easily in any line-up in the NHL.
He’s proven to be a reliable two-way centre for the third-line and brings the upside that he can on the left-wing as well. Signed through the 2022 – 2023 season on a friendly contract worth $3.500.00 annually, Kerfoot could bring a profitable return at the deadline.
Kerfoot could easily bring in a decent prospect with some draft picks or even land a first-round pick, which Dubas could use to make another trade to bring someone in.
With Spezza, Engvall, and even Gauthier, the Toronto Maple Leafs have replacements in the roster to replace Kerfoot at the centre.