Rangers can’t afford Nylander and they probably would still have to add a 1st and a prospect

NYR have a cap problem so this doesn't work for them.

Trading Nylander for the Leafs to free up cap would be silly. Your suggestion doesn't save the Leafs much, and they would be getting a huge downgrade if Kakko doesn't suddenly break out and become a PPG player at the least.

Kakko
Lafreniere
Goodrow

For

Nylander

(Three whoopsies for one Willy)

NYR should add but they won't do it because in their cap hell a contract and player like Kakko is more valuable to them.

Creates three roster positions that needs filling and throws away the whole rebuild. I wouldn't do that.

Add a forward from leafs side, promote Othmann and/or Cuyle.

Well but you know what I am saying. What if you done that to Hughes for example? Obviously NJD didn't try to rush things like NYR, but still...

We could kinda see something special with Hughes from day one…even if his early stats weren’t good. So that’s a hard example to use. (And why Devils fans were so stubborn about his lackluster start at the time).

Pavel Zacha -- probably the closer comparable. After a few years, we were open to moving him in the right deal. By his D+4 and D+5 seasons fans wanted to shop him everywhere. It wasn’t until his draft+6 season where he really stepped into a top-6 role. A year later, he was traded for a rental 3C.

Adam Larsson -- He was #4 pick in 2011, we traded in 2016 for Hall (after his D+5 season). But was probably seen as untouchable until about 2014-15 after he worked through some bumps in his 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

Ty Smith -- he was our top pick in 2018, was top dman in Calder voting in 2021 (D+3), we traded him in 2022 (following D+4).

Michael McLeod -- Our top-pick in 2016 and was seen as our top prospect for a couple of years. He didn’t play right away. But once he arrived and it appeared he wasn’t going to be a top-6 center, he lost “untouchable” tag quickly. In his D+4 and D+5 seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21), he became possible trade bait. Then he reinvented himself under Lindy into the role he has now (and is a keeper again).

So in my experience, after three or four professional seasons, we usually have an idea of what they player will become. Fans are usually a year or so behind on willingness to move a young guy. Kakko is entering D+5 season and he probably is what he is. Lafreniere maybe has a little more growth and opportunity coming. But if you could trade either for a Nylander, I would do it in a heartbeat if extensions and cap worked.

Well Kakko had more of an opening, given the lack of Rw in NYR. I can still he him do a Tage Thompson progress. Laffy it is lack of opportunity in the position he was drafted as. He is a offensive top 6 guy aka J.T Miller. He needs that position to play his game. You probably say the same about Chytil end of last year as you said about Kakko and Laffy. Worst thing you can do is sell when prospects are one taking steps forward each year, two still young. Kakko 22 and Laffy 21 years of age.

It would be the worst trade in Leafs history.