Toronto Maple Leafs: Carolina Hurricanes inquire about William Nylander
By James Reeve
The Toronto Maple Leafs are still in the process of negotiating a new deal with William Nylander but that hasn’t stopped teams from inquiring about a possible trade.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has been strong in his position that he is not interested in trading any of their top players, including William Nylander.
In an article by the Toronto Star, Dubas detailed that he had been asked by other teams whether or not he wanted to trade Nylander, giving a simple answer of ‘no’.
It has emerged, per Pierre LeBrun, one of the teams to call about Nylander was the Carolina Hurricanes.
LeBrun, speaking on TSN 1050’s Leafs Lunch, explained that the Hurricanes inquired about Nylander’s availability.
He also said that they are not likely considering an offer sheet for the talented Swede – with question marks over where the team could finish this season.
"“I can tell you that I know the Carolina Hurricanes are among the teams that have phoned of late to check in on William Nylander with the Leafs. Just in case. As they should, by the way. [Carolina asked] are you trading him? They were told no.” – Pierre LeBrun, speaking on TSN 1050’s Leafs Lunch"
The Hurricanes are an interesting team because another report suggested that Dubas spoke with the team earlier in the summer on the status of defenceman Justin Faulk.
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With Dubas’ interest in Faulk, it would make sense for the organisation to make a return call with Nylander at the centre of discussions, with the right-hander a likely piece that could have been mentioned.
Contract negotiations are taking far longer than fans would have hoped, with many now concerned that Nylander will miss some regular season games before a deal is agreed upon.
Dubas, however, maintains that the team will get a long-term deal done and that Nylander will be with the team for a long time – with a trade seemingly out of the question while there is still a chance of a deal being signed.
Things may change, however, if this drags out longer and approaches the December 1st deadline – a deadline which would end Nylander’s season and ensure he is not able to play until the 2019/20 season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly looking to secure Nylander for around $6 million per year, while the back-to-back 61-point player is hoping for closer to $8 million per.
This has been the reported reason for such long negotiations, with less than two months to go until the deadline.
It is unlikely that things will get that close to the wire, but Dubas is now at least aware of teams that are interested in Nylander should things turn sour.
Next. Report: Connor Carrick on the trade block. dark
What do you think Leafs Nation? Are you concerned with the Nylander negotiations? Will he be traded if the team can’t lock him down soon? Will he sign before or after the season begins? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!