Maple Leafs not looking to trade William Nylander right now

Without a contract, William Nylander has been over in Europe and not with the Toronto Maple Leafs throughout the preseason, but it doesn’t sound like the stalemate will result in the young winger playing for another team any time soon.

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas made it clear that he is focused on keeping the currently unsigned restricted free agent as part of the organization’s plan.

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“I’ve been asked, ‘Do you want to trade him right now?’ And the answer is, ‘No,'” Dubas told the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. “Circumstances can change. But it’s not in any plan or any discussion we’ve had that we’re going to trade any of these players.

“Our goal is to have them each develop and maximize their potential here.”

And to Dubas’ credit, he has been consistent with this plan all along. In a press conference after the club signed John Tavares in July, Dubas answered a question about keeping Toronto’s core intact with an emphatic “We can, and we will,” response that would have spurred a pep rally full of Maple Leaf supporters into overwhelming euphoria.

But a key takeaway from what he told McGran was the use of “right now.” While he was pretty emphatic on his desires to keep Nylander with the club, that doesn’t mean things can’t change.

As New York Islanders fans learned with their ex-star centre, life comes at you fast.

“Things happen in sports and athletics. So I don’t know that it puts our word on the line. But we have not shopped him around,” Dubas stated. “We have done none of that whatsoever. Our goal is to keep him here long term and that’s what it will continue to be.”

With neither one of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner or Nylander locked up yet this summer, Dubas has a Cirque du Soleil-sized juggling act. But to this point, he has yet to do or say anything to suggest that any one of the three will be heading elsewhere anytime soon.

And regardless of whether or not Nylander’s absence extends deep into the season, the Maple Leafs still have the horses up front. Toronto should have the ability to go line-for-line with any team in the league, and that in itself has many thinking the Leafs are contenders this season.

So, no need to get bent out of shape yet, Leafs fans.

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