Toronto Maple Leafs: How much would the Carolina Hurricanes pay for William Nylander?
The Carolina Hurricanes are one of many teams reportedly calling the Toronto Maple Leafs about William Nylander but would they pay a steep price?
It has been tough to ignore the reports surrounding the growing interest in William Nylander even though there has been no indication that the Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to trade him.
At the end of the day, the Leafs want to sign Nylander but if they can’t come to an agreement it would not be ideal to see that asset miss an entire season. Obviously, general manager Kyle Dubas isn’t just thinking about this season but how this contract impacts the team’s salary cap down the road.
Some have called Nylander selfish for reportedly asking for me than what people think he should get and some saying the players should get his money when he can. The only card Nylander can play is sitting out and hoping the Leafs will eventually give in but it looks like the team’s willing to play the waiting game.
While that goes on, the trade speculation is starting to gain traction especially after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that the Carolina Hurricanes are willing to go “all in” on a trade for Nylander.
The reason why the Hurricanes continue to be the top destination comes from the fact that Carolina has been heavily scouting the Leafs all season as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet writes.
So how much are the Hurricanes willing to give up to acquire Nylander? This is a team with playoff aspirations and acquiring Nylander would only help them but the Leafs will make them pay a steep price.
This was something we discussed on the latest edition of the Tip of the Tower podcast where Jake Middleton offered his opinion on what the Leafs could get in a deal for Nylander (audio below).
If Carolina is willing to overpay in a trade for Nylander, Jacob Slavin and Martin Necas would be coming the other way (Andrei Svechnikov would definitely be off limits) but something tells us the Hurricanes wouldn’t even consider this. This is why Jake offered up this type of package with Brett Pesce being the centrepiece in the deal.
While Pesce and Warren Foegele aren’t exactly the type of names that will get Leafs fans excited right off the start, they are players capable of being contributors now and down the road. The worst thing Toronto can do is trade Nylander straight up for another player and would be better off getting more assurances which is why the first round pick would have to be included.
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The Hurricanes would probably ask for more than Nylander back in return but this would be the example of what the Leafs could expect in return.
Pesce has a good frame and is a great skater but doesn’t provide enough offensively to be considered a top pairing option according to the Hockey News. He would be an ideal option on the second pairing and being a right-handed shot gives increases his value.
Like Pesce, Foegele is a big bodied player who is an outstanding skater and can produce offensively if given the opportunity. The Hockey News believes that if the 22-year-old can fill out his 6-foot-2 frame with his skating, he could provide a lot of upside.
Is that enough to pull the trigger? Probably not and this is probably why the Leafs aren’t in a rush to consider a trade even though they have also received interest from the Los Angeles Kings according to reports.
Having multiple teams calling and asking about Nylander allows the Leafs to set their price and see which team will step up but at the end of the day signing Nylander remains the priority.
This is a player who the Leafs spent a top-10 pick on, has great chemistry with Auston Matthews and is a great producer offensively especially at even strength. There’s a reason why so many teams are calling about Nylander and the Leafs probably know getting the right value in a trade would probably be tougher than just keeping him around.
Next. LA Kings reportedly talking Nylander trade. dark
Do the Hurricanes have the assets to trade for Nylander? Is there an ideal trade that you would consider or should the Leafs try to get him signed? Let us know in the comments below.