Should we strongly consider Trading W. Nylander while his value is high?

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

Among our forwards in these playoffs, Matthews had the best on ice goals % and best on ice expected goal %. Nylander was 2nd to Matthews in both categories despite not having another star player on his line so here's a thought - instead of trading him, why don't we try giving him some more minutes?

I was ranting about this a few days ago because Marner at that point was playing 5 more minutes per game than Nylander. Keefe was double shifting Matthews to get him more minutes so why not send out Nylander with him, that would one hell of a 4th line!

That's my one big criticism of Keefe and I do think that 4 more minutes per game for Nylander could have us preparing for Florida today. Live and learn (I hope).

Keefe saw what we all saw... Nylander plays when he wants, holding the puck and possessing it makes him look good on paper but retrieving pucks and protecting your zone comes in clutch in the Playoffs and he falls in that category, he is what he is... Keefe felt he needed to be babysat with Kampf and Engvall. He plays well with room... The playoffs you have less space and that's when he shys away.. we need more players to bring us in the fight with that cap hit. We have players that put up points already.. we lose in the playoffs because there are more players that want it more, and if you're going to give a top 6 forward like Nylander big minutes, he has to show he's not just going to play a finesse game come play offs. If he smells contact he gives up possession. That style kills momentum on the bench... If the bench sees everyone fighting for pucks, then they know that's the standard.

 

[AvroArrow]

Depends entirely on the return, Nylander is a terrific player. 1st line winger on most teams, if we get a legit 2D for him I consider it.

 

[saffronleaf]

I'm not advocating this, but just thinking out loud. I would debate long and hard on the merits of trading Nylander to New Jersey for the 2nd overall with pluses here and there. Draft Juraj Slafkovsky who is projected as a harder hitting Mikko Rantanen, and spend the $7 million in free agency upgrades. In one year's time you have a younger hungrier forward group with Knies, Slafkovsky and Robertson on cheap pushing up.

That would be the only real scenario I could see. A simultaneous cap restructure and re-energizing the organization with some elite young talent.

Robertson needs 6-7 more years in the Marlies to develop

 

[Gary Nylund]

Honestly at this point, everyone is on the table and it all depends on the returning package.

For me, that should be our position at any point in time. I wouldn't be looking to trade Nylander or M&M at this point but hey, I'm always willing to listen to offers. As the saying goes - make me an offer I can't refuse.

No place for floaters on a team that wants to go deep in the playoffs. That clip of him giving up on the dump-in when he realized he’d have to take a hit was embarrassing. How do you look your teammates in the eye. Like others have said, even Kessel didn’t pull that kind of weak garbage in the playoffs.

Trade him.

Nylander played great in these playoffs (the regular season too for that matter). That's the way I see it anyway and the numbers back that up. But if you value style over substance then sure, keep watching that clip and yelling at the clouds.

 

[Dreakmur]

Depends entirely on the return, Nylander is a terrific player. 1st line winger on most teams, if we get a legit 2D for him I consider it.

You don’t trade him because he’s bad, but because you can better utilize the asset and the cap space. Watching Tampa, it’s pretty clear our blueline isn’t going to cut it. We need someone to match McDonagh or Cernak. Nylander has the value to return tat kind of player.

 

[ER89]

No place for floaters on a team that wants to go deep in the playoffs. That clip of him giving up on the dump-in when he realized he’d have to take a hit was embarrassing. How do you look your teammates in the eye. Like others have said, even Kessel didn’t pull that kind of weak garbage in the playoffs.

Trade him.

What a stupid f***ing take. Let's just sign 12 kampfs.

 

[A1LeafNation]

His value will always be high bc he's a good player.

 

[AvroArrow]

You don’t trade him because he’s bad, but because you can better utilize the asset and the cap space. Watching Tampa, it’s pretty clear our blueline isn’t going to cut it. We need someone to match McDonagh or Cernak. Nylander has the value to return tat kind of player.

Watching this series, at worst the teams were evenly matched. But I firmly believe we were the far better team, especially 5 on 5. I stand by this statement even after the loss. We were significantly better 5 on 5, and I can't emphasize significantly enough.

We lost cause of a couple "bounces" People are acting like this was some no contest blow out loss. Our team is right there with the Bolts.

 

[Gabriel426]

For me, that should be our position at any point in time. I wouldn't be looking to trade Nylander or M&M at this point but hey, I'm always willing to listen to offers. As the saying goes - make me an offer I can't refuse.


Nylander played great in these playoffs (the regular season too for that matter). That's the way I see it anyway and the numbers back that up. But if you value style over substance then sure, keep watching that clip and yelling at the clouds.

I think you have to listen and see what’s out there but I don’t think Dubas is in the trade or bust mode.

I think Dubas might hire Trotz and somehow JT will be on the first line with AM and MM while Willie will be running his own line with Bunting and Kase/Robertson.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

It all depends on what you can get back. Obviously not gonna trade him just to trade him.

That is what this entire thread comes down to.

What is his value? Do you move him for 2nd overall from Jersey? I think I would. A guy like Cooley could be our future Tavares replacement, and he could be playing with Knies next year at the University of Minnesota. We would need to figure out how to use Nylander's cap to ensure we are still competitive enough during the regular season without Nylander, but Cooley + Knies coming in as playoff reinforcements next year on top of how we use Nylander's cap space? It is a decent step back for what could be an enormous step forward both this year and beyond. You would have Matthews - Tavares - Cooley down the middle, with a number of our top end prospects being wingers (Amirov, Knies, Robertson, Hirvonen, Steeves, etc.) who may not be Nylander-caliber, but will be able to compliment our center group extremely well going forward... And you still have one of the best wingers in the league in Marner.

Would I move him for John Gibson? Absolutely not, unless there are some other great pieces coming from Anaheim.

 

[Gabriel426]

His value will always be high bc he's a good player.

While also on a great contract.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Keefe saw what we all saw... Nylander plays when he wants, holding the puck and possessing it makes him look good on paper but retrieving pucks and protecting your zone comes in clutch in the Playoffs and he falls in that category, he is what he is... Keefe felt he needed to be babysat with Kampf and Engvall. He plays well with room... The playoffs you have less space and that's when he shys away.. we need more players to bring us in the fight with that cap hit. We have players that put up points already.. we lose in the playoffs because there are more players that want it more, and if you're going to give a top 6 forward like Nylander big minutes, he has to show he's not just going to play a finesse game come play offs. If he smells contact he gives up possession. That style kills momentum on the bench... If the bench sees everyone fighting for pucks, then they know that's the standard.

Nope, not true at all. What makes him look good on paper is that when he's on the ice, we tend to out-chance and out-score the opposition and that's exactly what happened against TB. The fact that his stats are even better than Marner's is even more impressive when you consider that his linemates are just average players, way below the standard set by the amazing Matthews who Marner gets to play with. Then when I factor in the cap hits, I don't see how you can complain about Nylander at all unless as I said before, you value style over substance.

 

[ULF_55]

I think you might have to.

Can't fix the real issue, but if Matthews is only controlled for the next 2 years.
Have to do something before he could move on with nothing to show for it.

Looks like they're going to have to go to a top 3 bottom 9.

Need a coach who plays not to lose and one who will put the reigns on everyone to try to win 2-1 games.

No keeper, no number 1 defender.

 

[ECanuck]

His value will always be high bc he's a good player.

Yes his value is always going to be high. If we can get a good D or Goaltender we can trade him.

 

[Buds17]

This would be the change to make if the desire is to do something major. I also think we're closer to seeing a move of this magnitude than we've previously been. Still not certain that it actually happens though.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Yes his value is always going to be high. If we can get a good D or Goaltender we can trade him.

Moving deck chairs on the titanic.

Tavares brings the value of a 4m player and we talking about Nylander lol.

Wake up.

 

[Gabriel426]

I think the problem is really having three 10mil plus forwards on the team.
If one of them is a Dman, it would be better.
JT is too slow to be a Dman and AM is a scorer. Maybe we should switch MM to RHD, he might become Makar. He can’t be worst than Holl and MM also PK.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I think you have to listen and see what’s out there but I don’t think Dubas is in the trade or bust mode.

I think Dubas might hire Trotz and somehow JT will be on the first line with AM and MM while Willie will be running his own line with Bunting and Kase/Robertson.

I was thinking about Trotz. I wonder if Dubas sense of loyalty is too strong for him to consider this but when a guy like that becomes available, I'd say you have to at least consider it. It's not even that Keefe is terrible or anything, he's just not Trotz. And he should have played Nylander more, I'll probably be bitching about that for quite some time.

 

[ECanuck]

Moving deck chairs on the titanic.

Tavares brings the value of a 4m player and we talking about Nylander lol.

Wake up.

I'm looking at it what player will give you most value back.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I was thinking about Trotz. I wonder if Dubas sense of loyalty is too strong for him to consider this but when a guy like that becomes available, I'd say you have to at least consider it. It's not even that Keefe is terrible or anything, he's just not Trotz. And he should have played Nylander more, I'll probably be bitching about that for quite some time.

We don't even know if Trotz wants to be a coach, and even if he did, we are talking about completely overhauling our roster to fit his vision. He doesn't work well with the team as constructed.

So either he needs to adjust, or the team needs to adjust. I don't see either happening fast enough.

 

[Alexanderthe89]

What a stupid f***ing take. Let's just sign 12 kampfs.

Yes that’s exactly what I’m advocating for.

 

[TheGreatOne11]

It would ideally be a 1 for 1 trade with a #1 D on a sweetheart of a contract and hope that the young guns in the pipeline can lessen the damage of losing Nylander like a Knies really stepping up for us or one of the Russians.

We need to allocate more money out if the forwards, a dynamic presence on the blueline with the team we already have back there? Could be seriously dangerous.

 

[Gary Nylund]

We don't even know if Trotz wants to be a coach, and even if he did, we are talking about completely overhauling our roster to fit his vision. He doesn't work well with the team as constructed.

So either he needs to adjust, or the team needs to adjust. I don't see either happening fast enough.

Yeah I don't know that much about Trotz but was wondering about that well. If he's the type to completely change the way we play then I don't want him either.

I'll say it again, I think we played very well this series and in game 7 and other than not giving Nylander more minutes I can't criticize Keefe at all. I said it before the series and before game 7 - the one big question mark on this team is the goalie. If we can somehow solve that issue, I'm more than fine with coming back with as much of the same team as possible next season. Another save here or there or a few more minutes of Nylander and we might be prepping for Florida right now.

 

[Smif]

Um so? You're gna trade the guy who gets paid 4m less and contributes the same as an 11m Mitch? Who gives a f*** about intensity. The only thing that matters are the results in the playoffs. I could give a rats ass if we lost the advanced stats f***ing battle or the intensity battle if we win a damn series. And William Nylander at 6.9 million contributes just as much in the two stats that matter in the playoffs as our 11m players. He puts up goals and assists and always shows up and creates chances. Always. Ffs.

You really think Nylander is on the same level as Marner??

 

[Gabriel426]

I was thinking about Trotz. I wonder if Dubas sense of loyalty is too strong for him to consider this but when a guy like that becomes available, I'd say you have to at least consider it. It's not even that Keefe is terrible or anything, he's just not Trotz. And he should have played Nylander more, I'll probably be bitching about that for quite some time.

Trotz would do well for the Leafs and if the big boys can’t take his approach, they should be off the team even if his and is Matthews, which I doubt since Ovie had nothing but good thing to say about Trotz.