The Toronto Maple Leafs are going through a stretch that has clearly changed the team’s outlook. The losses have continued to pile up without a resolution in sight, and the standings now present a difficult path forward.
As the season deepens, the focus is slowly shifting toward what changes may come in the months ahead. Therefore, the conversation has now started to include one of Toronto’s most productive forwards.
Maple Leafs’ Struggles Put Forward William Nylander in Trade Discussion
The Maple Leafs dropped another game on Tuesday, falling 3-1 to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. The loss extended Toronto’s losing streak to eight games and increased pressure as the Atlantic Division race continues to tighten.
Even during this difficult run, William Nylander has remained the team’s most productive forward. He is currently on a six-game point streak, with 4 goals and 2 assists. Nylander has also recorded points in 9 of his last 10 games and leads the Maple Leafs with 60 points, including 22 goals and 38 assists in 48 appearances.
Toronto now holds a 27-27-11 record and sits near the bottom of the Atlantic standings. As losses continue, discussion of roster changes has begun to surface.
During an episode of the “Real Kyper & Bourne” podcast, NHL analyst Nick Kypreos suggested that even Toronto’s core players may not be completely off limits if management decides to consider larger moves.
Kypreos said, “All bets are off now on any of them and I will include [William Nylander] and Auston [Matthews]; and by the way, I also heard Willy’s name out there a little bit”.
Nylander’s contract would play a major role in any move. The Swedish forward signed an eight-year, $92 million extension that runs through the 2031-32 season and carries an annual cap hit of $11.5 million. The deal also includes a full no-movement clause, meaning a trade would only happen if Nylander agrees to waive it.
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For now, Nylander continues to focus on the team’s on-ice issues. After the loss to Montreal, he explained where the Canadiens created problems for Toronto.
“They were getting a lot of looks from the inside, slot shots, they were making quick plays, playing fast, catching us on our heels,” Nylander said.
He also pointed out that Toronto has played well in parts of games but has not carried that level through the entire sixty minutes.
“It’s a lot of losses in a row now, I mean, I think parts of all the games we’ve been playing, we’ve been playing snippets of good hockey. That’s not how we want to play, we want to play a full game of good hockey. So, until we trend closer to that, I don’t think it will be possible.”
