Contract negotiations between the Toronto Maple Leafs and forward William Nylander collided, leading to speculation of a possible trade. At the same time, the Calgary Flames face uncertainty surrounding key players like Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, and Noah Hanifin. With trade rumors circulating, the Flames may consider making a move to bolster their roster and keep it competitive next season.
With the prospect of losing key players, the Flames find themselves in a position to make changes and improve their team. What they want so badly to break the game and talk is that they think Nylander could be that guy, even if he’s looking to achieve an average annual value of $10 million (AAV). While this may be a deterrent for some teams, the Flames have plenty of room and flexibility to negotiate if they expect a departure from their current roster. The idea is that signing Nylander might be the thing that makes Elias Lindholm stay.
Sportsnet 960’s George Rosick He raised the idea of the Flames pursuing a trade for Nylander, citing the lack of dynamic players on the Flames roster, coupled with the ability of Nylander’s offensive skills and potential to be a difference-maker, make him an attractive target. In fact, he said outside of Rasmus Andersson and Lindholm himself – unless the latter’s plan is to leave regardless – there’s no player on the roster he wouldn’t trade for Nylander.
On the show was the rumored Noah Hanifen and a first-round pick. He asked if that was enough to start the conversation if Nylander didn’t commit long-term. If Nylander is willing to work on a long-term extension as part of the deal, he may have brushed off the idea of including Conor Zari to wrap things up.
Will the maple leaves look at the flame?
As the summer progresses and the 2023-24 season approaches, Nylander could become more difficult to trade, with more teams given rosters. Meanwhile, The Flames are on hiatus, unable to take care of much business thanks to the uncertainty surrounding their stars. Until they know what’s going on with the players who have told the team they don’t plan on signing the Extensions, there’s not much Flames new GM Craig Conroy can do.
Maple Leafs writer Howard Berger suggested that Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treleving had been in touch with his former team regarding Nylander’s potential availability. Berger wasn’t the only one to hint that the two teams had talks. If both clubs feel they are in a situation where things are not going to work out, making the most of a trade between the two sides makes a lot of sense.
The longer things go on in both cities, the more it seems these two are destined to do business. And with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Dumy now in the fold in Toronto, the worry about replacing some of Nylander’s offense is less of a concern than it was just a few days ago.
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