New Jersey Devils: 5 Players To Consider From Toronto Maple Leafs

William Nylander

Let’s just get this one out of the way. William Nylander would be a wonderful option for the New Jersey Devils, just like he would have been the past two seasons. The 24 year old returned to his previous form from before his hold out, and put together his first 30-goal season of his career. The calls for him to get exiled by the Toronto fanbase doesn’t exist like it did, but he could still be a name on the move because of the insane haul he would bring back in return.

Again, it’s probably as least likely as it has been in a long time that Nylander would be going anywhere, but it’s definitely not a flat-out no. The Leafs could sorely use the close to $7 million yearly salary he holds on the cap. Moving Nylander makes the Leafs a cap ceiling team going into the offseason to a team that has some money to spend during a year with a flat cap.

The Devils are likely moving their top prospects and then some to help make this trade happen. However, Nylander would be the perfect fit on this roster. He fits the “timeline”, he can finish for either Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes, he’s used to playing with other stars, and he’s getting better at stepping up in big moments. Although, his advanced stats aren’t great in the Blue Jackets series.

Nylander is not asked to do a ton for the Maple Leafs, and he can fall under the radar if he chooses. The Devils would provide a similar option. Instead of hiding behind Tavares or Matthews, Nylander can use Travis Zajac or just a lack of Devils media coverage to move on from mistakes. The Devils are one of the few teams that can take on a $7 million salary without blinking, especially with the type of term still on Nylander’s deal. If he keeps scoring 30 goals, he’s going to be a bargain. The Devils need to see what the cost will be to get him.