TRAIKOS: It’s time the Leafs traded Nylander for defensive help | Canoe
Dubas spent the past year firing his head coach, trading Nazem Kadri and turning over almost half the roster. Now, following a best-of-five qualification loss that knocked the Leafs out of the playoffs before the playoffs even began, it’s time to put down the scalpel and get out the hatchet.
It’s time to break up the core. It’s time to trade Nylander.
Don’t trade him because he was a minus-2 in Game 5. Don’t trade him because he isn’t good enough or because he doesn’t care enough. Trade him because he doesn’t play the right position.
And the position we’re talking about is defence.
If this series taught us anything, it is that speed and skill and offensive creativity take you only so far. The Leafs have a core that includes Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Nylander. But they don’t have a Seth Jones or a Zach Werenski.
They’ll need one if they are going to win a playoff round.
That’s where Nylander comes in.
The only way to get a Seth Jones is by giving up something of value. Dubas is not going to trade Matthews or Marner or even Tavares. But Nylander might be expendable.
This isn’t a criticism of how the 24-year-old played this year. By his standards, this was a breakout year for Nylander. He finished in the top 15 with 31 goals season and was on pace for a career-best 71 points when the regular season was halted.
In the playoffs, he was better than he had ever been. He scored twice and picked up a pair of assists — half of those came in Game 4, where he kick-started the 3-0 comeback with Toronto’s first goal and a secondary assist that sent the game to overtime.
In Game 5, the coaching staff was so confident in his abilities that Nylander centered the second line with Zach Hyman and Kasperi Kapanen, while Matthews, Marner and Tavares joined forces on the top line.
It didn’t end up working out as planned.
