NHL Insider Reveals William Nylander Blockbuster That Almost Happened
William Nylander has been a breakout star for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and unsurprisingly, the Canadian team was happy to dish out yet another massive contract for him.
NHL Insider Reveals shock blockbuster that almost took place
While the Maple Leafs are now set with their Core Four for a long-time, leaving depth and talent issues on the blue line, Elliotte Friedman has dropped a bombshell, claiming that the 27-year old was almost traded to help fix that issue last summer.
"I think this is the key thing. I think over the summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs made it clear they would consider trading William Nylander for a top defenseman and there just wasn't anything out there. Part of the reason is that teams that were going to trade for him didn't know if they were going to be able to sign him. So, nobody is trading a top defenseman or a really good defenseman for a Nylander that you don't know if you're going to be able to sign. Look at how hard this negotiation was going to be for Toronto. It wasn't going to be any easier anywhere else. So that made it difficult for Toronto to make a deal, they had no deal to make.
I think from the beginning of the season until just before Christmas when Toronto re-engaged, and I think a lot of this started again just after their trip to Sweden... I think the Maple Leafs went through the league and said 'if we let him go and we use that money on the blueline, who is the defenseman we could go get and be impactful enough to fix the loss of Nylander and his production?...They said there is not a defenseman they can get their hands on who is worth losing this player."
I think from the beginning of the season until just before Christmas when Toronto re-engaged, and I think a lot of this started again just after their trip to Sweden... I think the Maple Leafs went through the league and said 'if we let him go and we use that money on the blueline, who is the defenseman we could go get and be impactful enough to fix the loss of Nylander and his production?...They said there is not a defenseman they can get their hands on who is worth losing this player."
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There was plenty of speculation surrounding the league that Nylander could be traded, but this is Friedman confirming that the deal was a lot further along than many expected.
How do the Maple Leafs fix the blue line now?
With Nylander now locked in at $11.25 million annually over the next eight years, the Maple Leafs have a challenge on their hands as they look to improve the blue line and give themselves a chance at a Stanley Cup.
Ultimately though, teams were not willing to part with a game-breaking defenseman for a player that couldn't commit to a long-term extension, and this near miss is what seemingly led to the second biggest deal in franchise history for Nylander.
As Read on Puck Reporter - Elliotte Friedman Reports That A Major William Nylander Trade Fell Apart
| POLL | ||
8 JANVIER | 534 ANSWERS NHL Insider Reveals William Nylander Blockbuster That Almost Happened Will the Maple Leafs win a Stanley Cup with William Nylander? | ||
| Yes | 274 | 51.3 % |
| No | 260 | 48.7 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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