Insider reveals which of the core 4 members he would retain at all costs and spoiler alert; it's not Auston Matthews
With the Leafs down big to Florida in round 2, the usual questions have resurfaced about the "Core 4" and whether or not a change needs to be made within that group. It's unlikely that Auston Matthews is going anywhere. John Tavares has a full NMC, so he's also unlikely to move. Mitch Marner and William Nylander are the two who could make sense to move under the right circumstances. However, one insider says that Nylander is the one the Leafs should not trade.
On Daily Faceoff Rundown this week, Frank Seravalli supported Nylander saying, "He looks like he digs in in the playoffs. He might not have the points but I think he's actually been fine. He provides the most surplus value relative to cap. He is the last guy of the four I would trade."
While Seravalli says Nylander is the last of the "Core 4" he would trade, he in all likelihood would be the first traded should management decide they need to shake up the roster. Not because they want to, but because of his cap hit and production. It's not often you find an 85-point player making under $7M per season for another year. He'd simply be the easiest player to move.
Should the Leafs' season end tonight, these rumours will persist throughout the offseason, leading up to the draft and the opening of free agency and will still be in full swing until training camp in September if nothing has been resolved before then.
| POLL | ||
MAI 12 | 1601 ANSWERS Insider reveals which of the core 4 members he would retain at all costs and spoiler alert; it's not Auston Matthews If you could move any of the Core 4 without having to worry about no movement clauses, who would you move? | ||
| Nylander | 297 | 18.6 % |
| Matthews | 352 | 22 % |
| Tavares | 762 | 47.6 % |
| Marner | 190 | 11.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
