Back in action for the first time in six games, Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander made quite the return to the ice for his team, helping them earn points in the standings for the ninth straight game with a dominating 5-0 victory over the struggling Vancouver Canucks on Saturday evening at Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto.
Nylander scored a goal and added a pair of assists while also finishing with a plus-2 rating, helping the Maple Leafs keep their point streak intact at nine games (7-0-2).\
“I mean, it’s not fun sitting out and watching,” Nylander said after the victory. “But, I mean, the team was playing great. So, it’s been fun watching them play great.”
But what are the chances that Nylander could soon find himself playing out west for a new NHL club? According to a bold blockbuster trade proposal from NHL Insider Nick Kypreos, it’s a possibility that both clubs should give serious considerations to.
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Toronto Maple Leafs Bl0ckbuster Trade Proposal Sends William Nylander To The Seattle Kraken
While speaking on the “Real Kyper and Bourne” show, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos suggested a monster trade that sends Nylander out west to the Seattle Kraken, and in return, the Maple Leafs receive former Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Brandon Montour as well as defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.
“I would do Brandon Montour for Willy, and (Jamie) Oleksiak,” Kypreos said. “Yeah, I would. Yes, yeah, for Willy. I would, I would, I would. I would shore up that blue line. I would take that blue line to the next level. That Montour, you win with that Montour, you win. They won’t trade him, Seattle won’t trade him, he’s their heart and soul.”
Montour was a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers, who defeated Nylander and the Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Semifinal in 2023 en route to what would be the first of three appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.
Following Florida’s Cup win in 2024, Montour jumped ship and took his talents to the west coast, accepting a multi-year contract to join the Kraken, who were only a year removed from advancing to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinal. However, Montour and the Kraken have yet to appear in a single postseason game since his arrival.
Meanwhile, Oleksiak is a Toronto native who has played the bulk of his NHL career as a member of the Dallas Stars. He’s also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and was left unprotected by the Stars in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and subsequently scooped up by Seattle.
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William Nylander Is In The Midst Of An Eight-Year, $92 million Extension
Nylander, who had the chance to become an intriguing unrestricted free agent in 2024, instead chose to remain with the Maple Leafs when he accepted the eight-year, $92 million contract.
The son of former NHL forward Michael Nylander, William had been part of Toronto’s infamous “Core Four” of players that included himself, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and now-former Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, whose tenure with the club came to a close during the offseason; he’s now with the Vegas Golden Knights.