Insider Sparks William Nylander Trade Buzz With Kraken Proposal

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the hottest teams in hockey right now, and the timing couldn’t be better. With their season hanging by a thread and injuries piling up—most notably to William Nylander—a playoff push felt as far-fetched as ever. Fast forward a few weeks, and a 6-0-2 run has thrust Toronto right back into the mix, one point out of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Seven of those eight games on this recent stretch have come without Nylander, which has led to new chemistry built throughout the lineup, and in turn, questions about the superstar winger’s future with the team—whether they’re realistic or not.

Sportnet’s Nick Kypreos leaned into that discussion this week on the Real Kyper and Bourne show, and this time around, he got into specifics, pitching a trade that would send Nylander to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defensemen Brandon Montour and Jamie Oleksiak.

Kypreos said:

“I would do Brandon Montour for Willy, and Oleksiak. Yeah, I would. Yes, yeah, for Willy. I would, I would, I would. I would shore up that blue line. I would take that blue line to the next level. That Montour, you win with that Montour, you win. They won’t trade him, Seattle won’t trade him, he’s their heart and soul,”

The 29-year-old Nylander is in the second season of the eight-year, $92 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2024. Despite having played in only 33 games, he remains the team leader in scoring with 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists).

Is Montour and Oleksiak Enough to Land William Nylander? 

If the Maple Leafs are even going to consider moving Nylander, they have to be getting a legitimate haul in return that will help the team now and in the future.

Montour—a minute-munching, offensively gifted defenseman who plays with jam and brings Stanley Cup pedigree—would be a massive addition, as a player who fits exactly what Toronto has long lacked on the back end. Meanwhile, Oleksiak is another big, solid defenseman who would add even more depth, though in an ideal world, any Nylander trade would bring back at least one impactful forward.

Kypreos has long loved the idea of the Maple Leafs landing Montour, but at this point in time, it feels unlikely that either Seattle or Toronto would be willing to make such a blockbuster. That said, depending on how each team’s 2025–26 campaign unfolds, these conversations could resurface come the offseason.

Next: The Tables Have Turned on the Mitch Marner Toronto-to-Vegas Move