William Nylander, a “fit” for Anaheim?

There are two issues we’re keeping a close eye on in the Queen City.

Auston Matthews… and William Nylander.

Both Leafs stars will be free as a bird in the summer of 2024, and everyone is currently wondering whether their respective futures lie in Toronto.

If it seems to be the case for the American, who has shared his desire to sign a long-term contract with the Leafs… The talk is different for the Swede.

Because Nylander will be looking for a big pay raise, and Brad Treliving probably won’t have enough money to pay him when Matthews signs his next contract.

It’s for this reason, among others, that the idea of Nylander being traded before next summer has been floating around for several weeks. After all, it could become the way to go if the Leafs don’t want to lose him for absolutely nothing a year from now…

And we all agree that no team can afford to lose a player of this calibre for free.

Mike Rupp, who has become an analyst for the NHL Network platform, discussed the subject last night and believes the Leafs should try to trade him. That said, the former NHLer would like to see Nylander land in Anaheim in a monster deal:

.@Rupper17 thinks William Nylander would be a perfect fit in Anaheim 👀🤔@JamisonCoyle | #FlyTogether | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/DCS3mNz4R7

– NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 22, 2023

Admittedly, the addition of a William Nylander to the Ducks makes sense on paper.

We’re talking about a young roster with a lot of interesting tools to work with… And we’re talking about a young roster looking to add some raw talent to its offensive lineup.

Nylander fits the bill in Anaheim.

The Ducks already have some fine players in place for the next few years, but the arrival of a natural scorer like Nylander would certainly help the team “skipper” a few steps in their rebuild.

When you look at the potential offensive lineup with Nylander in the lineup, and consider that the Ducks have excellent blue-line prospects in Tristan Luneau, Noah Warren, Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov…

You’d think they’d have the potential to be very dominant in the near future. That might not be the case this season or the next, because the youngsters have to keep developing…

But on paper, it’s scary:

Mike Rupp explains it well in the segment above.

Nylander’s days are truly numbered in Toronto because the Leafs won’t be able to meet his salary demands when he signs his next pact.

That said, a few questions come to mind.

When will he be traded? Is it a matter of time?

If not, is there a world where Brad Treliving decides to keep him at the next trade deadline if he sees his club has a chance of lifting the Stanley Cup?

William Nylander’s name is already popular all over the NHL… and it’ll become even more so in the coming weeks.

All that remains is to discover his next destination.

In gusts

– Sick.

Just close your eyes and enjoy this field hockey ASMR 🎧#KHLPreseason pic.twitter.com/6XMAljw8r2

– KHL (@khl_eng) August 22, 2023

– Wow!

– Come on, Genie.

– Ark?