RUMOR: St. Louis Blues Eyeing William Nylander In Exchange For A Number One Defenseman
The St. Louis Blues went through a bit of a down year this past season. They became sellers at the trade deadline trading Ryan O'Reilly away to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now according to new rumors, they are looking to to do another deal with the Maple Leafs and load back up again.
Nylander To St. Louis
The trade saga with William Nylander has been dragging on for months now. Reports continue to indicate that both sides are far apart on a new deal.
This could lead to a potential trade. One of the teams rumored to be in on Nylander is the St. Louis Blues. Here is the trade package currently rumored to be on the table from NHLTradeRumor.com.
RW � William Nylander ( $6.96 million a year, free agent next summer)
To Toronto Maple Leafs
RD � Colton Parayko ( $6.50 million a year, under contract for seven more years)
LW � Jake Neighbours ($835k with two more seasons until restricted free agency)
1st Round Pick in 2024
This trade is similar to some of the others floating out there. The Leafs give up Nylander and get back a current roster player, a young player, and a future first-round pick.
Trade Analysis
For the St. Louis Blues, this adds another proven good forward to their lineup. William Nylander would pair with Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas as the new core of the Blues. Their defense would start to become a bit thin losing out on Parayko but the scoring could be worth it.
The Leafs get the stability on defense that they have craved in Colton Parayko. While Parayko's offensive upside isn't quite what everyone thought it would be after his first couple of NHL seasons he is a good two-way defender. He is a player that could pair with either Morgan Rielly or John Klingberg and allow them to play more freely and take more risks.
The Leafs also add a young forward in Jake Neighbours. Although Neighbours hasn't popped yet at the NHL level has shown he can play. He will add yet another player like Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson on a cheap contract that could give the Maple Leafs flexibility if he plays well. Then of course the 2024 First Round Pick is just another asset to add to the Leafs stockpile.
All-in-all this trade seems like a good one for both sides. The Blues add more offensive firepower while the Maple Leafs add what they truly need in defensive help and cost-effective offense. It would be interesting to see who would win this trade in the short and long term.
| POLL | ||
Who wins this trade? | ||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 768 | 55.7 % |
| Saint Louis Blues | 610 | 44.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
