The 7th overall pick in the 2022 draft reportedly available; a deal with the Leafs could make sense for both sides
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a bit of a tricky spot right now with the flat cap having thrown a wrench into their original plans. The top-heavy Leafs are paying over $40M to 4 forwards, and with Morgan Rielly's $7.5M extension kicking in this year, Jack Campbell being a pending UFA and both Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren as pending RFAs in need of contract extensions, the cap situation is going to be plenty tight for the club this summer.
On Wednesday, TSN's Bruce Garrioch reported that the Ottawa Senators could be looking to move the Sens' 1st round pick, 7th overall in the upcoming draft. Division rivals don't often swing deals with one another, but this situation presents a unique opportunity for both teams to get exactly what they want.
The rumoured asking price for the 7th overall pick starts with an impact player. William Nylander is certainly that, and of the Leafs' "core four", Nylander appears most likely to move. The 26-year-old Swede was an 8th overall pick back in 2014 and is coming off of the best season in his career, having scored 34 goals and 80 points in 81 games. He also has just two seasons remaining on his current contract, carrying a cap hit of just under $7M per season. At the end of his current deal, Nylander is going to be looking for a significant pay bump and he's not exactly the type of player you let walk in free agency for nothing. A trade seems likely at some point, so why not pull the trigger when an opportunity like this one comes along?
The Leafs aren't just going to deal Nylander straight up for the 7th overall pick though. I'd imagine that if this were to occur, the deal would likely be a bigger one that would involve the Leafs moving up to the 7th overall pick, while the Sens would likely move down to wherever the Leafs' 1st round pick ends up being (currently 27th overall).
Could a deal centered around Anton Forsberg, Shane Pinto and 7th overall for RW William Nylander and 27th overall be worked out with the Sens? Would there need to be other balancing pieces involved? The possibility is certainly an intriguing one. The two sides have also come together on deals before, most notably, the Dion Phaneuf trade back in 2015-16.
A deal between the two sides, as unlikely as it seems, could definitely make some sense for both the Leafs and the Sens. I wouldn't put a high likelihood on anything materializing there, but stranger things have happened.
| POLL | ||
MAI 25 | 433 ANSWERS The 7th overall pick in the 2022 draft reportedly available; a deal with the Leafs could make sense for both sides Should the Leafs strike a deal with the Senators for the 7th overall pick? | ||
| Yes | 192 | 44.3 % |
| No | 172 | 39.7 % |
| They should, but not for Nylander | 69 | 15.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
