Rangers insider proposes 2 player trade deal for William Nylander.

The Toronto Maple Leafs realistically have two and a half weeks to make a very difficult decision regarding the future of restricted free agent forward William Nylander. It's true that in theory the Maple Leafs could shut down Nylander for the entire 2018 - 2019 National Hockey League regular season but that would be a huge blow to their line up and could permanently strain relations between the team and the player.

The Leafs are left with one of two realistic options, either come to terms with Nylander at the final hour or look to find a team willing to give him the kind of money he wants while getting an asset that will help your young core for the foreseeable future in return. We've heard rumors linking the Leafs to the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks and most prominently the Carolina Hurricanes but one New York Rangers insider believes that the Rangers are in contention for the young Maple Leafs' star.

From Larry Brooks:

The notion somehow circulating through the public sector that the Rangers are out of the running because they won’t send Brady Skjei north as part of the package is as nonsensical as it is false.

The odd thing about the suggestion that the Maple Leafs would target a player like Skjei is that he would become one more left handed shot on the Leafs' blue line, a blue line that has been desperately searching for a top pairing defenseman on the right side. That being saide though Skjei produced 5 goals and 34 assists in his rookie season with the rangers and his 42 points in 80 games had many believing that he would blossom into a top pairing defensemen for the Rangers for years to come. Skej however regressed in his second season and looked shaky at times. finishing the season with a plus minus rating of -27, and the Rangers have seemingly struggled to get him going once again this season. This again makes the insinuation that the Leafs are interested in Skjei very curious indeed.

It may be that the Leafs realize they are not going to be able to pay a player like Jake Gardiner the big money that he would be expected to look for this upcoming summer as a potential unrestricted free agent. In that potential scenario acquiring Skjei would make a lot more sense from the Leafs perspective, and Brooks believes the Rangers could throw in another piece to entice the Leafs to make the move, Rangers veteran Chris Kreider.

From Brooks:

If management is not comfortable giving Kreider what it will take to keep him off the 2020 free agent market (five years, $30 million-plus?), then he would likely be traded either at this year’s deadline or at the draft. That’s when his value would be at its highest. But if Kreider is traded, there had better to be a premium return.

So Kreider and Skjei for Nylander, who could play either wing or center.

Would you make the deal if you were the Rangers? Would you make it if you were the Leafs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.