The Athletic William Nylander Trade Destinations: 7 Teams That Could (or Should) Be Interested

[Phil]

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A consideration in all of this, of course, has to be Nylander’s next contract. He’s going into the final year of a six-year contract that carries a $6.96 million AAV and is obviously in for a raise. His market value according to Dom Luszczyszyn’s model over the next eight years is about $9 million on average (and that’s true when taking out his 2023-24 season, which he’s under contract for, and averaging the seven years to follow as well).

 

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Evolving-Hockey’s model has Nylander even higher. If he were to be a free agent this summer, their model would project an eight-year extension worth $9.63 million on average. If Nylander were to sign outside of Toronto, that projection would change to a seven-year deal with the same cap hit. 

 

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New York Rangers

 

The Rangers have had to add at the deadline the last two years to bolster their right-wing depth. Maybe the answer is finding a more long-term option, instead of moving picks out each spring. As much as management may want to rely on their ‘kids’ to take on that role, there’s only one actual right winger to count on in Kaapo Kakko — unless the new-look coaching staff actually trusts Alexis Lafrenière to shift to the right. If not, one RW slot in the top-six is still open if neither of this year’s deadline adds extend. 

 

If the Rangers want certainty for years, then Nylander seems like an ideal fit. It would be on brand for New York to dive at a big-name player, after all. The Rangers have their next three first-round picks to move and some prospects to move via trade. It’s even possible that they move players out of their NHL lineup; someone like Lafrenière could make sense as part of the return to give him a fresh start (and a cheap contract for Toronto to balance out their big-money deals). But they’d have to offload quite a bit of salary elsewhere to fit Nylander and his next contract.

 

https://theathletic.com/4640345/2023/06/27/william-nylander-trade-destinations/?source=nhltw

[BrooksBurner]

Georgiev and a 3rd for Nylander

[The Dude]

No Cap space for that hit  Not even after this season.  I like the player,  but he a bit more of the same, in the lack of grit department.  I'd rather they pursue Marner from that roster, if they are going to take on one of their big salaries.  I'd totally see if they'd swap Panarin + for him. 

[Sod16]

2 minutes ago, The Dude said:

No Cap space for that hit  Not even after this season.  I like the player,  but he a bit more of the same, in the lack of grit department.  I'd rather they pursue Marner from that roster, if they are going to take on one of their big salaries.  I'd totally see if they'd swap Panarin + for him. 

Correct.  If Toronto can't fit Nylander's next contract at 9.5, they can't take Panarin at 11.6 instead.  Besides, Bread ain't giving up a coffee shop in Brighton Beach for Tim Hoton's.

[RangersIn7]

I don’t want the next 8 years of Nylander. Especially at that number. 
 

Nope

[Cash or Czech]

How are the medical residency programs in Toronto? Asking for a captain

[Albatrosss]

3 hours ago, The Dude said:

No Cap space for that hit  Not even after this season.  I like the player,  but he a bit more of the same, in the lack of grit department.  I'd rather they pursue Marner from that roster, if they are going to take on one of their big salaries.  I'd totally see if they'd swap Panarin + for him. 

I’ll take nylander for panarin in a heartbeat. 

last year’s playoffs—

nylander-11g, 9pts

panarin-embarrassing 

[Valriera]

Lol

[fletch]

Talented player that seems to be a better fit elsewhere given our cap situation.  It would take some serious maneuvering.  It could help our RW situation but I see need to work on grit and leadership as more pressing issues.

[jsm7302]

With Toronto's signings; the assumption must be that this guy is on his way out. 

 

It has to be a salary dump so they would be taking back peanuts on the dollar.

 

Some guys on ELC's and draft picks I'd assume.

[BrooksBurner]

On 6/28/2023 at 6:19 PM, fletch said:

Talented player that seems to be a better fit elsewhere given our cap situation.  It would take some serious maneuvering.  It could help our RW situation but I see need to work on grit and leadership as more pressing issues.

 

The Rangers could do it if they wanted to. They probably shouldn't want to.

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

56 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

With Toronto's signings; the assumption must be that this guy is on his way out. 

 

It has to be a salary dump so they would be taking back peanuts on the dollar.

 

Some guys on ELC's and draft picks I'd assume.

And that makes it impossible for the Rangers to do anything. We barely have 700k available, don't see how we'll fit his 7m under the cap.

 

And he's a UFA next season and would demand a raise, so this doesn't make much sense from a Rangers POV.

[The Dude]

58 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

With Toronto's signings; the assumption must be that this guy is on his way out. 

 

It has to be a salary dump so they would be taking back peanuts on the dollar.

 

Some guys on ELC's and draft picks I'd assume.

[BrooksBurner]

4 minutes ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said:

And that makes it impossible for the Rangers to do anything. We barely have 700k available, don't see how we'll fit his 7m under the cap.

 

And he's a UFA next season and would demand a raise, so this doesn't make much sense from a Rangers POV.

 

Miller+ or Chytil+ for Nylander, and Goodrow moved out separately works. It works for anyone in that 7M range really. I hypothesized Keller the other day in this scenario, and he's a better fit contractually because his 7.1 number is static for 5 years.

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

9 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

 

Miller+ or Chytil+ for Nylander, and Goodrow moved out separately works. It works for anyone in that 7M range really. I hypothesized Keller the other day in this scenario, and he's a better fit contractually because his 7.1 number is static for 5 years.

I guess it works with Keller, but I'm not taking that chance with Nylander. What if he has another 40g, 85+ points season? He'll demand 10m x8 at 28.

 

Even with Chytil + Goodrow gone that's just too much. Kakko needs a new contract next year, hopefully he's in for a big raise. Lindgren needs a raise (or trade) and Schneider is coming off his ELC (probably signed to a cheap bridge).

 

We don't have any significant contracts coming off the books before 2026, but we have players in need for a raise every summer before that. Adding another 10m forward is just not possible.

[BrooksBurner]

1 minute ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said:

I guess it works with Keller, but I'm not taking that chance with Nylander. What if he has another 40g, 85+ points season? He'll demand 10m x8 at 28.

 

Even with Chytil + Goodrow gone that's just too much. Kakko needs a new contract next year, hopefully he's in for a big raise. Lindgren needs a raise (or trade) and Schneider is coming off his ELC (probably signed to a cheap bridge).

 

We don't have any significant contracts coming off the books before 2026, but we have players in need for a raise every summer before that. Adding another 10m forward is just not possible.

 

 

I'd have to think Nylander would be extended before the year even starts no matter where he is. I'd guesstimate he's around the Timo Meier contract 8.8x8. It's really hard to predict the Rangers' cap situation next summer since they'll have some trading flexibility with Trouba and Kreider, but I don't think either of those players should prevent acquiring high end talent in their prime. I'm just not sure if I fully trust Nylander at 9 million.

[RangersIn7]

9 hours ago, BrooksBurner said:

 

 

I'd have to think Nylander would be extended before the year even starts no matter where he is. I'd guesstimate he's around the Timo Meier contract 8.8x8. It's really hard to predict the Rangers' cap situation next summer since they'll have some trading flexibility with Trouba and Kreider, but I don't think either of those players should prevent acquiring high end talent in their prime. I'm just not sure if I fully trust Nylander at 9 million.

I’m leaning sign and trade too. 
 

But I wouldn’t want 8 years of Nylander at the price he’s coming in at. Cost to acquire would create holes they likely couldn’t fill too. 

[siddious]

Cancer. Stay away. Not worth 1/10th of your cap hit. 

[Pete]

4 minutes ago, siddious said:

Cancer. Stay away. Not worth 1/10th of your cap hit. 

What makes him a cancer? 

[siddious]

50 minutes ago, Pete said:

What makes him a cancer? 

Asking for $10 mil. 
 

I’ll never get what the thought process is on such requests. You better be leading your team in every category for that kind of money.  Which he’s not.

[Br4d]

1 minute ago, siddious said:

Asking for $10 mil. 
 

I’ll never get what the thought process is on such requests. You better be leading your team in every category for that kind of money.  Which he’s not.

 

Free agency will always drive prices up because it's based on scarcity.  There aren't a lot of extremely talented players available in UFA in a given year and so the price of signing one goes way up.  Same for good players and competent players.  You pay a premium because the availability is so low.

 

The overall structure would be more sound if everybody was a free agent every year.  The #1 guy at each position would get paid what he deserved and you'd go from there.  This is very different from the best player available in each year getting paid like the #1 guy because nobody else with similar talent levels is available.

[siddious]

3 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

Free agency will always drive prices up because it's based on scarcity.  There aren't a lot of extremely talented players available in UFA in a given year and so the price of signing one goes way up.  Same for good players and competent players.  You pay a premium because the availability is so low.

 

The overall structure would be more sound if everybody was a free agent every year.  The #1 guy at each position would get paid what he deserved and you'd go from there.  This is very different from the best player available in each year getting paid like the #1 guy because nobody else with similar talent levels is available.

All fair points. Still ridiculous, he’s not a $10mil/year player. Some bottom feeder will pay him And he will be bought out in year 4. 

[Br4d]

Well the Leafs are paying 3 forwards 10M+ at this point.  If I was Nylander I would be asking myself exactly why I was going to take less coming off two 80 pt seasons in a row.

 

This is another way of saying the $10M demand is at least partly Toronto's fault also.

[siddious]

5 minutes ago, Br4d said:

Well the Leafs are paying 3 forwards 10M+ at this point.  If I was Nylander I would be asking myself exactly why I was going to take less coming off two 80 pt seasons in a row.

 

This is another way of saying the $10M demand is at least partly Toronto's fault also.

Oh entirely. Dubas is the golden boy but there’s a lot to not pick at. 

[Pete]

I think if you look across the league he's being asked to be paid fairly. 

 

There is not a player in that room who looks at Nylander as a cancer for wanting to be paid what he's worth and wanting max contracts. 

 

When you look at his production and expectation on salary, versus Zib, you can see why Drury is making a bunch of solid moves.