While the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to find their footing this season, they don’t seem ready to tear things down and go right into a full-blown rebuild.
At the 2026 Trade Deadline, they traded Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Nicolas Roy to bring in some draft picks, but decided to hang onto Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Stolarz.
They kept some key pieces, and while they could revisit trading them in the offseason, one name that has been tossed around recently doesn’t sound like a realistic trade piece.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Groulx, Stolarz, Thrun & Ekman-Larsson
William Nylander, who is 29 years old, has scored 23 goals and added 40 assists for 63 points through 51 games this season. Throughout his career, he has scored 285 goals and added 390 assists for 675 points through 736 games, which comes out to a 0.92 points-per-game average.
In the days after the 2026 Trade Deadline, Nylander’s name started to make its rounds in trade rumours, as Nick Kypreos mentioned that the Maple Leafs were open to conversations about him, and a trade involving him “wouldn’t shock anyone.”
“They were open to conversations about Willy, and that shouldn’t shock anyone.”@RealKyper joins @JDBunkis to discuss William Nylander’s future with the Maple Leafs. pic.twitter.com/dAkTxkhRBP
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) March 11, 2026
While fans would expect the Maple Leafs to be open to trade conversations involving just about anyone, it’s hard to see a world where they are interested in trading one of their cornerstone players, especially if they expect to remain in contention next season.
Nylander might be struggling in some aspects of the game, and it’s definitely frustrating to see the Maple Leafs lose and fall in the standings, but that doesn’t mean they should look to trade him.
With a few moves in the offseason, the Maple Leafs should be back in playoff contention, and the rumours of trading Nylander will be looked back on and laughed at.
What Else Could Maple Leafs Do This Summer to Improve?
There has been some speculation that the Maple Leafs could meet with Auston Matthews after the 2025-26 season is complete to just reiterate their commitment to each other, but I don’t see a world where he gets traded. He might consider leaving when his contract is up, but he is committed to them until then, at least.
The Maple Leafs do need to make some changes this summer and find a way to improve their team. They have been ruined by injury issues on the back end, but with that being said, it is safe to assume they would prefer to upgrade their blue line, whether on the trade market or in free agency.
There is a possibility they will make a coaching change, as it seems the team would benefit from a fresh voice other than Craig Berube. With Pete DeBoer available, it wouldn’t be surprising if they hired him instead.
I can see a world where the Maple Leafs go big-game hunting in the offseason. There was some speculation that the St. Louis Blues were considering trading Robert Thomas, and if he becomes available again, I would be all over that, if they can find a way to make the money work.
Lastly, they should try to trade Morgan Reilly, giving them even more cap flexibility. If they can get out from under his full contract, the Maple Leafs will have enough cap space to try to improve a few different areas of their lineup.
Time will tell what they end up doing, but I don’t think Nylander being traded, or even considered as a trade candidate, is realistic.
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