"I'm not sure you have to (trade Nylander). This is a cap system. If he walks, that is not ideal. But if he walks after a great year and they actually do something in the playoffs, so be it. They still got a lot of value out of Nylander in terms of what he's brought during his time in Toronto and that cap space will be open next year when the cap is allegedly supposed to go up. If Nylander is dead set on getting $10M plus and the Leafs are not willing to go there, the Leafs should not budge. If he walks, he walks. Brendan Shanahan and now Brad Treliving have to have confidence in their program and have a backbone when it comes to negotiating. It was a huge issue the last time they went through this with Nylander, Matthews and Marner, they've been paying for it ever since.
You have to learn from past mistakes. They have to set a number, and if he doesn't like it, so be it. I wouldn't trade him though. I don't think you trade him for the sake of it. If there's a great deal out there, go for it, but that should happen anyway. If there's a deal that makes your team better, go for it, like it should be throughout the league. I don't think the Leafs should feel at any point they have to do anything and that includes the idea of letting him play it out. He's a very good player they're going to be a very good team, but the team isn't going to fold if he walks." - Bryan Hayes on Nylander
