TSN: Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie on TSN’s Insider Trading on if the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander are getting any closer to getting a deal done.
LeBrun: There is some optimism after Kyle Dubas and agent Lewis Gross had meetings on back-to-back days and they’ve agreed to continue talking.
“Now, where it goes from here, it’s at a crucial juncture to be sure. That doesn’t mean a deal will get done but we’re told that there are both short-term contract offers being discussed and also long-term deals. It could go either way. I still think there’s a gap, there’s still work to be done, but for the first time in this process certainly, you can sense some optimism.”
McKenzie: Yes, Dubas was out watching games in New York and Philadelphia, but teams are still being told no when they asked the Leafs if they are interested in trading Nylander.
“That is not part of the plan. Doesn’t matter how many times you say it, people will still want to believe that maybe there’s going to be a trade out there. And way way way down the road that might be an option, but this is not even something that’s being considered. Kyle Dubas was in New York to meet Lewis Gross and he saw a game in Philadelphia, case closed.”
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post: William Nylander’s tenure with the Maple Leafs could be over due to his salary demands and the Leafs need to improve their blue line.
Nylander will likely be traded before December 1st to a team in need of top-six right winger and one who has the salary cap space to extend him.
The Colorado Avalanche have the salary cap space and the need for a top-six right winger, but Nylander may not be the guy for the Avs unless they would be willing to include 2017 first round pick Cale Makar. The Avs are likely not interested in moving Makar or Sam Girard. Conor Timmins is still out with concussion-like symptoms.
The Avalanche also likely wouldn’t be interested in giving Nylander a long-term deal around $8.5 million while Nathan MacKinnon is at $6.3 million.
The Avs will be having to sign pending restricted free agent forward Mikko Rantanen before next season.
