Nick Kypreos drops a bombshell regarding Nylander on HNIC!

Sportsnet analyst and pundit Nick Kypreos has never been one to shy away from controversy but his comments on Hockey Night in Canada this evening have fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs up in arms.

When it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs right now all the focus is on young forward William Nylander and the fact that he has set to sign a new contract with just days remaining before the start of the regular season. Even the most die hard of Kyle Dubas loyalists are now sweating when it comes to Nylander's contract status and in spite of Dubas' constant assurances there are more and more people each day who doubt that his plan to keep all 3 of Toronto core forwards under the Maple Leafs' umbrella. Keeping Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner was one thing but Dubas shocked the world this summer when he went out and also added then New York Islanders' captain John Tavares and now it's not so clear if Dubas can make his plan become a legitimate reality. 

Word on the street would lead me to believe that the Nylander camp is looking for somewhere in the ballpark of $8 million per season in average annual value and that puts a huge strain on Dubas and the salary cap for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kypreos however does not believe that the Leafs will be giving Nylander that kind of money and he instead suggested that Nylander use the only option that Kyrpeos believes remains on the table for the young forward.

"if he stands pat here and he does not want to go down that path, I think the next move for him is to ask for a trade," said Kypreos during Hockey Night in Canada. 

Kypreos believes that for Nylander to get $8 million, or perhaps even more, it will take a trade demand and a brand new team that will be willing to pay him the kind of money that is usually reserved for top level stars in the National Hockey League.

"Because there's no way, there's no way, that he is going to get to 8 or 9 million dollars on the Toronto Maple Leafs. To get that money he is going to have to go to another hockey club," added Kypreos, stunning both of his co-hosts in the process."

Kypreos was then asked if that would be a last resort for him at this stage and he seemed to indicate that this was not his belief. It came off instead as if Kypreos genuinely believes that the best way to move forward, at least as far as William Nylander is concerned, is to chase that money by demanding a trade of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"That would be my move," concluded Kypreos.

Now it has to be said that Kypreos is no stranger to saying some pretty wild stuff but it's also important to note that as a former player turned NHL analyst he remains extremely well connected in many circles. If Kypreos believes the situation has dissolved this badly between the Leafs and Nylander, and with no deal this close to the season he may be right, then the writing may already be on the wall.

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