New Jersey Devils: Three Trade Packages For William Nylander
The New Jersey Devils could look at William Nylander if he is available.
The New Jersey Devils have some really dynamic young centers that could really use established wingers to help them on both sides. The Devils as an organization have not been shy of making big trades over the past few offseasons so there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic about them being busy again this offseason. One name that might come up a lot this time around is William Nylander. At this point, he should be no stranger to trade rumors.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had yet another early exit from the postseason as they were defeated in the play-in series by the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games. It feels like there is no way that they bring back the same group that can never get over the hill. They have a whole lot of money locked into offensive players and not many defensive players so it is fair to speculate that they try to make a massive change.
William Nylander would be a great fit for multiple reasons for the New Jersey Devils. They have two centers in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes that would really benefit from this team getting deeper at the wing position, especially right-wing.
Nylander seems like the type of player who would really play well with Hughes. He has a lot of the same skillsets on the wing as Hischeir, especially the ability to get to the dirty areas for goals. Hughes is known more for his ability to create offense and making passes so finding a guy like Nylander would be really good for him. It would also allow a guy like Kyle Palmieri to stay with Hischeir full time as they have developed great chemistry together over the years.
If the New Jersey Devils wanted to go for Nylander this season, they might have some things that would attract the Leafs. First and for most, the Devils have the cap space to get it done which is important. Nylander has a cap hit of 6.9 million which is pretty nice for a guy who can score you 30 goals. He had 31 goals and 28 assists for 59 points in 68 games this year. Those numbers warrant a price tag like that and perhaps more so the Devils would be wise to add him. These three trade packages might get it done:
Trade One
This is a pretty nice haul for a Leafs team that has a long way to go before getting over the hump. They have a lot of money put into Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander which makes it hard to build a team around those guys. They need a lot of help in other areas so moving one of Nylander or Marner would really free up some space to do that. If the Devils gave these three assets to Toronto for Nylander, both teams would be well off.
Kevin Bahl is a big young defensive prospect that the Maple Leafs could really use. He isn’t going to be a guy that has 60-plus points annually but he will be able to defend at a high level. He is also super physical which is something that this edition of the Maple Leafs severely lacks.
The first-round pick held by the Devils that originally belonged to the Vancouver Canucks could end up being a mid-low first-round pick. They are currently involved in a very contentious series with the St. Louis Blues so it could go either way. Either way, in a very deep draft, there are gong some great picks available when this pick is on the clock.
Miles Wood would add some more speed and physicality that the Maple Leafs really need. He doesn’t have a great reputation with Devils fans because of his offensive faults but that wouldn’t be an issue in Toronto. They have plenty of other offensive stars on that team so the pressure would be off as far as that goes. This is certainly a trade where the Devils are getting a great winger in exchange for three potentially impactful assets.
Trade Two
This is a trade that the Devils might need to have to do if they want Nylander and the Leafs want a larger return than the first trade proposal. This one would be giving the Leafs a guy who might be able to fit in as their third or fourth-line center, a puck-moving defenseman, and a pick that should net them a very good player. The Arizona pick should be in the mid-late teens as their series against the Colorado Avalanche isn’t looking good.
Pavel Zacha could be that guy who would be a center in their bottom six. He never lived up to being the sixth overall pick as far as his offensive numbers but he can still bring something to an NHL team. He is an elite penalty killer and he is almost more of an offensive threat shorthanded than he is at even strength. With Auston Matthews and John Tavares ahead of him in the lineup, the pressure would certainly be off.
For Damon Severson, he is the easy scapegoat in terms of the Devils fanbase. He racks up points more than a lot of defensemen in the NHL and players like that don’t grow on trees. He would be able to pass the puck up to some really good forwards so those points might even increase if he was traded away before the Devils young forwards took the next step. Either way, this is a pretty nice haul for the Leafs for Nylander. Two NHL players and a high-end draft pick in a very good draft say a lot about how good Nylander is.
Trade Three
If it took more of a “blockbuster” trade to acquire William Nylander from the Toronto Maple Leafs, this deal might be something that is worth doing for both teams. The biggest issue on the Maple Leafs right now is their ability to defend in tough situations and the Devils need wingers for their two franchise centers. This deal could really help both of these teams get what they need to help fix that.
Ty Smith is one of the best young defensive prospects in hockey. The Devils took him with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He has dominated the WHL as a member of the Spokane Chiefs. He has been given multiple awards for his production there and should make a very good NHL player. The Leafs need a prospect like this really bad and giving up Nylander might be the key to getting one. He barely missed making the team in 2018-19 and surprisingly didn’t make it again here in 2019-20 but he should be there for 2020-21.
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The first-round pick that the Devils have that once belonged to the Vancouver Canucks would also go a long way in the Leafs potentially drafting someone who can help them. The Devils would have to think long and hard about giving up some of these players and draft picks but there is little doubt that William Nylander would be a major upgrade at the right-wing position. It is fun to think about trades like this but you never know if the Devils actually try to pull it off.