This William Nylander Trade Could Win Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup

Should Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving call upon his former team and make a splash?

I know it’s only the first week of December, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are barely hanging onto a playoff spot and they need serious help defensively.

There has been plenty of talks surrounding the Calgary Flames, thanks to Treliving’s ties to the club, and as a result, he needs to act on those former connections.

I don’t love what I’m about to propose, but this trade makes the Leafs a much better team defensively and helps them win a Stanley Cup this year, while it supplies the Flames with a huge asset to re-sign and a future to build around.

This William Nylander Trade Could Win Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup

Alright, let’s just get to it:

The Trade

• Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Noah Hanifin ($4.95M – Flames retain 50%) & Chris Tanev ($4.5M – Flames retain 25%), Elias Lindholm ($4.85)
• Calgary Flames acquire: William Nylander ($6.9M), TJ Brodie ($5M), Topi Niemela, 2024 First Round Pick and 2026 First Round Pick

If the Flames are just going to let Hanifin, Tanev and Lindholm walk for free as UFA’s, they may as well get something out of it, so why not get Toronto’s best asset, two first round picks a top prospect in exchange?

This Leafs Trade Would Break the Internet

This trade is absolutely nuts, but hear me out. It benefits the Flames because they get the opportunity to sign Nylander to a long-term deal and pair him with Nazem Kadri and a struggling Jonathan Huberdeau.

Huberdeau has been awful with the Flames, but playing alongside a skilled player like Nylander could be all that’s missing for him and could help turn him back to the point per-game player he once was.

Not only that, but you’d acquire a defenseman in Niemela who can play in the NHL next year, a top-four defenseman who was loved in Calgary before in Brodie and two first-round picks.

As for the Leafs, it sucks that they get rid of Nylander, but their defense immediately turns into a solid six-pack, while adding amazing depth scoring.

I’ve said this forever, but if the Leafs want to be their best, Matthews needs to run a line by himself without Tavares, Marner or Nylander. He needs to carry the weight to help the depth of the team and this would help.

Lindholm is a former 40-goal scorer himself and would legitimize the Leafs third-line, similarly to what Ryan O’Reilly brought last year. Here’s how the trade would look with a healthy roster.

Forwards:

• Matthew Knies – Auston Matthews – Calle Jarnkrok
• Tyler Bertuzzi – John Tavares – Mitch Marner
• Nick Robertson – Elias Lindholm – Max Domi
• Noah Gregor – David Kampf – Bobby McMann

Defense: 

• Morgan Rielly – Chris Tanev
• Noah Hanifin – Timothy Liljegren
• Mark Giordano – Jake McCab

Tanev slots in as a steady top-pairing defensive defenseman, probably beside Rielly, similar to how a Ilya Lyubushkin or Luke Schenn fit in over the years.

Would this be enough value to get Hanifin, Tanev and Lindholm? Is it too much to trade Nylander when you could sign him long-term?

I don’t want to see another playoff run with the “core-four” but instead feel that it’s time to use your best asset to make the team better. This trade makes the entire roster better and gives the Leafs a real chance at winning a Stanley Cup.

I’m sure it’s way too much to ask, but in my fantasy world, I’m making this trade every day of the week.