Trading Nylander only makes sense if it greatly improves the defence. The defence has the same problems and now the offence is far weaker. The 2nd line is very defensively weak.

leafs pass

This is a similar return of the debrincat trade

People gonna hate on this.. but it’s probably a fairly realistic return assuming Nylander goes with a short term extension (3-5 years).

It addresses some needs and brings in players that play Treliving’s gritty style of game. Pageau would be a great 3C (although he’s overpaid and I’d ask for some retaining on his deal), and Wahlstrom fills Nylander’s scoring spot in the top 6 - don’t sign Bailey and put Wahlstrom there.

Although I would like Toronto to maybe flip 1 of those picks for a defensive guy for Rielly. They could easily move Brodie with that 2nd and maybe another prospect for an upgrade in the right side. It’d set the team up nicely and maybe free up enough cap for Samsonov (he’s likely costing between $4-$5m aav)

so? pageau is a cap dump 1st pays for dumping him and then wahlstrom and a 4th for nylander is awful

Except Nylander is better and this isn't enough

Nylander just won't get traded. If you can't improve your team by trading him, don't do it.

This deal does improve the team. Leafs aren’t getting full value or what fans on here think they’ll get for Nylander - he’s a pending UFA that the entire league now knows what he’s asking and knows that Toronto can’t afford him. It becomes the DeBrincat situation for Toronto.

If Toronto got this deal, they should take it.

Even if they can't find a middle ground Toronto, can choose to sign him at 10M. DeBrincat wasn't really interested in signing Ottawa, so there is a difference. Also, the Leafs would be better off just renting Nylander, instead of dealing him for an okay return. If they can't afford a 10M line 1 winger, then they can't afford a 5M 3C imo.

^---copy and paste this on every Nylander ACGM around these parts

Let’s look at facts and take your opinion out of this:
1. They can’t afford Nylander at $10m if they’re planning on keeping Matthews and Marner with raises while building around them for playoffs (has been proven for 7 years now)
2. Nylander’s direct comparable is DeBrincat. Nylander is better and this proposed deal is valued slightly better than what DeBrincat got in return.
3. Brad Treliving has already said he won’t let his time in Toronto have a situation like the Johnny Gaudreau situation in Calgary - in other words he’s not going to let high valued players walk for free in free agency. He’ll trade them before it gets to that.
4. The proposed deal not only replaces Nylander with a similar sniper in Wahlstrom, but it also addresses a major need in a defensive centre that plays with grit and is right handed. That fits what Toronto’s GM likes in players (not to mention Pageau has a good track record of being a good playoff performer)

So taking all opinions out of the equation, the reality is that this is a very realistic deal for Nylander. “Value” is an arbitrary term thrown around in sports - what one player has value to you, might not be how someone else views their value. You don’t know how highly Treliving values Nylander nor do you know how the league values him. Treliving values rugged, physical players. This deal adds those types of players while adding scoring as well, it would likely be seen as valuable to him, especially given that Nylander has leverage and may not re-sign. Theresa. Good chance he accepts this type of deal based on his history and the facts at hand. Nothing guaranteed, but it fits what he likes.

That gives TO a huge advantage then. If no one is going to pay him what he wants, then they can say go and find (give permission to talk extension with other teams) no one gives him 10 then the Leafs can say, we'll match your best off minus a bit to add the 8th year. Done deal.

A late 1st, cap dump, and a huge downgrade in Wahlstrom makes us worse and now we have a 5 million dollar 3C with way too many years left.

Justifying the troll talk. They can afford Nylander and will resign him. He won't get 10 million, and is worth somewhere in the 9's.

I have been

I think your evaluation needs work.

The last 5 drafts of the Islanders had their picks at 17th, 13th, 29th, 28th, and 23rd.. so that’s a team that’s clearly on the decline and is more of a mid tier team thus making a 1st of their likely between 10-20 overall, which is not a “late round” pick at all and in a decently deep draft can still be a good prospect.

Pageau is not a cap dump. He does his job well - which is defence first and physical energy. This is the exact thing that Torontonis lacking and Treliving has said he wanted to bring in more of to this team. $5m when the cap is going to be rising will be more like a $3-$3.5m player which is a great price.

Wahlstrom is still young and developing. He’s an offensive sniper with a lethal shot. Hasn’t had the opportunity to play with the best linemates, but he’s a finisher. Get him playing with Tavares, Marner, or Matthews and his development can skyrocket and you’re looking at a 30 goal scorer. He’d be a downgrade on Nylander offensively, but again he provides more of a physical presence than Nylander does to score different types of goals (which again is what Treliving is looking for). Yes he’s a bit of a project to develop, but you rarely trade star player for star player and you often get young guys that could use some developing in a new system.



No it’s actually justifying a realistic trade evaluation. Just because you don’t agree with it doesn’t mean it’s trolling kid. You wanna re-sign the same team and keep losing in the first round? - oh sorry, get 1 win in the second round but be dominated by bigger forwards that are less skilled but want it more - then be my guest. But dismissing a trade idea and calling it trolling simply because you don’t like it is pretty childish. Especially when if you actually break it down it fits what the team’s GM wants in a roster.

Why is he worth somewhere in the 9’s? .. Marner is getting almost $11m and Nylander is arguably worth the same as him. Nylander actually shows up consistently in playoffs, the cap will be rising so yet again asking Nylander to take a deal in the 9’s only looks like a team discount in 2 years. He produced more than Huberdeau this season and Huberdeau is set to make $10.5m. Why shouldn’t Nylander be getting that when he’s far more consistent? Just because Toronto what’s to pay Matthews and Marner more? When Nylander has been the more consistent guy. Doesn’t seem fair - if I’m Nylander I’m walking away from that situation as fast as I can.

Oh and something you don’t seem to realize is that if Nylander is allowed to talk to other teams about a new deal, then comes back and tells Toronto that X team will give him X contract, that doesn’t give Toronto leverage at all. It gives it more to Nylander. Toronto can sit there and say they’d match it plus 10% more if they want for an extra year, but that doesn’t mean Nylander has to sign it. Usually when players are given permission to speak to other teams it doesn’t end with that players team re-signing them, it leads with them walking away. & at that point all Nylander has to say is “why didn’t you offer me this deal when there was no other teams interested” because that only shows that Toronto devalues him more. Hell if that happened then Nylander would be dumb to not walk away as soon as he can.

If the reality is that no one will pay enough for Nylander, then you just don't trade him. Losing a trade because you want to save a million in cap off a star players contract is just dumb. Pageau is on the wrong side of 30 and his contract is too much and too long for what he brings. Wahlstrom will never match what Willy does and Willy goes to the net and scores most of his goals within 5 feet of the net. He isn't a perimeter player like most see him as. And if the leafs trade Willy to the Islanders they are way better and that pick will be in the late 20's. Just don't trade Willy

Have fun losing Nylander for nothing when he walks to free agency then. That sure seems like the better way to go!

1. If the Leafs can't afford to pay 1.5M-2M extra on Nylander, how are they going to afford paying 1-2M extra for a premium 3C? If Wahlstrom turns out, you're hoping that he's an 8M winger in the long term (3 years). 10M+3M = 8M+5M. Sure, he'll get a bridge deal but in the same year or a couple Matthews will need another raise. I also don't trust that Tyler Bertuzzi will be healthy enough even if he proves to be a PPG player.

2. As for Marner's raise, that doesn't happen until Tavares paycut. So, really it's just fitting a 10M winger for next year.

3. Now, let's just say that Leafs can't afford Nylander. If they aren't getting a significant impact player back, they are better off renting him because they have a better chance to win now. The Atlantic is only getting more competitive.

4. The Leafs would have incredible center depth, but in the long-term the wings are questionable, and the top 4 D as well. The Leafs are just going to have to be patient with Holmberg, Minten, or Cowan to at least turn into that defensive 3C.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if Treliving trades Nylander but if he's not bolstering the defence+getting a Wahlstrom type player. I don't think it's worth it. If the Leafs at least had some cap after this trade and where able to turn that 1st+ into an impact rental, then I would be inclined to agree. Leafs are going to need a future 2C as well.

Marner has been on a 100 point pace and has more points in the playoffs than any other core player in the Matthews era. He deserves what he gets paid. Willy gets in the 9's because he's better than PLD and Meier who are 8.8 so 9's is where it will land. He asked for 10 (allegedly) and the Leafs countered with less, it's a negotiation, they are already in the 9's I would wager but no one is going to accept that because it doesn't help the "he has to be traded crowd". It's been 12 days since they could start negotiating and by all actual reports, they continue to work towards a new deal. So logically that can only mean they are working towards common ground. I can't wait for this nonsense to end.

No, the better way to go is to resign him, which is what both sides are working towards.