The Toronto Maple Leafs got a stunning Get Out of Jail Free card on Tuesday night after defying the odds and the hockey gods and landing the number one overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The last time they had the #1 pick, they landed Auston Matthews, so Toronto has naturally been buzzing since the draft lottery.
Penn State’s Gavin McKenna appears to be the consensus #1 pick in the 2026 class, and one man believes Toronto should steer clear of trading that pick, draft McKenna, and bid goodbye to the second-highest-paid player on the team.
Toronto Maple Leafs Urged to Consider Trading William Nylander Away
Toronto never really found any rhythm in the 2025-26 season and limped to their worst finish in nearly a decade. They missed the playoffs altogether. Auston Matthews was down and out for the season with an injury. There was precious little light at the end of the tunnel, all things considered.
Until they landed the #1 pick.
New GM John Chayka’s press conference may have gone completely off the rails, but the fact that Toronto had just an 8.5% chance of landing on top of the draft lottery (and did so on Mitch Marner’s birthday) rejuvenated the franchise overnight.
But the work’s far from done. The 2026 free agency class is thin on star quality and Toronto has few assets to work with when it comes to the trade market. Which is why Sid Seixeiro believes they should entertain the idea of shipping William Nylander off to the highest bidder.
“You know William Nylander’s not good enough to win a Cup, but you also know the cupboard’s really bare for you. So how do you approach it? I think if [Gavin] McKenna’s the play, you’re less scared to cash in on William Nylander,” Seixeiro opined.
“William Nylander would bring you back the most assets. If he’s pretty free on where he’d go and does you a favor, because he doesn’t have to, if he’s easy on where he’d go, that opens up a lot for the Leafs. I don’t think it’d be that simple. But if they go forward with the pick, it gives the organization some leeway.”
Nylander just wrapped up Year 2 of his eight-year, $92 million contract with a cap hit of $11,500,000 per season. As things stand, his contract expires at the end of the 2031-32 season.
That deal, however, has a full no-move clause, which means Nylander doesn’t have to do the Leafs any favors.
Tensions have always run high in the Toronto market. Just ask Mitch Marner.
Over the years, Nylander has faced his fair share of criticism for appearing uninterested in Toronto’s fortunes. This season, he finished the year with 79 points (30G, 49A) in 65 games. He also missed a chunk of games, and like most Leafs stars, failed to put the franchise on his back when it mattered most.
In his exit interview, Nylander said he wouldn’t stick around if the franchise tore it all down, so the door is slightly ajar on a potential move. However, at this stage, it appears highly unlikely that Chayka will sanction a move, or even approach Nylander to broach the subject.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have missed the playoffs just twice in the past 10 years. They’ve won the lottery on both occasions, which means this is the time to start building. (They’ve also won more draft lotteries than playoffs series in that span, but never mind).
The Leafs will need all the momentum and star power they can get to turn the franchise around as they enter a new era. Having Nylander, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and possibly Gavin McKenna on the roster will make that job much easier.
