Insider and former Leaf bring up an excellent point about William Nylander's market value

On TSN 1050's First Up today, former Leaf Carlo Colaiacovo and Darren Dreger debated whether or not Nylander is a $10M+ player and both made a good point in saying that there is no other team outside Toronto that would pay him that amount of money.

"I look at the Timo Meier contract and his comments after, he said 'I'm happy with the contract I got because I'm putting myself in a position to be in New Jersey with a team that looks like it has a chance to win.' To win in this league you have to take less money. When you see guys like that, and then you see the Pierre-Luc Dubois deal and what the Leafs want to get [Nylander] locked in at, I understand that he's put up the numbers and the comps within the team. Yes, he deserves to make $10M when you're comparing him to Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews and the pay raises they're going to get, but the question I have is, is William Nylander's market outside of Toronto worth $10M?", questioned Colaiacovo.

Dreger's response to Colaiacovo's question coincided with Colaiacovo's initial thought that Nylander shouldn't get $10M+ per season.

"No. And [the team that may pay him that amount] that's probably not a team he's going want to go to. Don't forget his modified no-trade clause kicks in and that makes it that much more complicated. If there's a solution to keep him in Toronto, it's the mega deal. If you're moving him out, look at the PLD deal... I'm not saying anybody is comparing that trade to what the market should be for Nylander, but maybe it is."

Dubois is a center and is a bigger, edgier player than Nylander, but Nylander has the pure skill and hands that Dubois doesn't and Dreger makes a very good point in that the Dubois deal could be used as a starting point for a Nylander trade. Dreger also indirectly alluded to the fact that Nylander could be doing the same thing as Dubois in selecting his destination, if he truly doesn't want to stay in Toronto and then sign a lengthy deal with his preferred team. It will be something to keep an eye on as free agency begins tomorrow and as it unfolds throughout July.