William Nylander has 4 points in 20 games on a high-scoring offense.
Five more years at a $7M hit, the kid better start playing.
William Nylander Stats and News
Because of his holdout, he's basically in his training camp when the rest of the team is in mid season form.
The kid has a boat load of talent and will bounce back sooner rather then later. If we can find a way to acquire his services, since the Leafs are looking to add a RHD, I'd jump all over that opportunity.
I think it would be a great deal for both sides. I don't see the Leafs resigning Jake Gardiner and a player like Severson can fill that role to perfection, would cost less then what Gardiner will demand on the open market and they would save close to 2.8M$ in cap space as well. The fact that Kasperi Kapanen was doing a fantastic job on their top line before Nylander bumped him is another reason why I think Dubas should consider moving him for help on the blueline.
We would get a legit top #6 RW'er alongside Palmieri and at the same time, would entice someone like Duchene if ever we're looking to add a legit #2 center via free agency. Yes, our blueline would still look shaky but we can't cover all our weaknesses in a single offseason. If Ray decides to be aggressive, we're in a prime spot to land a top #10 pick and that might be a solid trading chip for an up and coming or proven blueliner on a team that is looking to shed some salary.
With that said, I think Shero will be very active this summer and possibly at the deadline as well. Going into next year with roughly the same roster isn't an option IMO if we're looking to resign our main asset.