A new fan theory emerged that has the Maple Leafs trading William Nylander for a top defenseman considering they may have already traded for his replacement.
The Maple Leafs are stuck in a deep rut without a clear way to get out of it right now. Losers of four straight at home, their latest thrashing at the hands on the Avalanche can't just be blamed on injuries anymore.
They fought back valiantly, but consistently poor defensive awareness and a lack of effort really shed light on how bad things are, and without a lot of room to improve - it might be a long, long season.
Nylander's lack of effort might be due to a looming trade
But no one has gotten more attention than William Nylander and it's for all the wrong reasons. He went without a shot against Colorado and was a minus-4 while showing zero effort defensively and cost the team a goal.
While he has 22 points in 20 games, he's cooled down considerably since the season started and ranks third-worst on the team in plus/minus for forwards at minus-7.
It's a frustrating part of Nylander's game that hasn't improved despite a slew of new coaches and fans are starting to realize that perhaps it isn't the personnel around the Swedish winger that's the problem - and they're looking to find a way out:
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In a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), a Leafs fan questioned Nylander's effort level and whether or not something else was going on. First came the concerns about his health, but then they believe something else is weighing on his mind - a looming trade.
Toronto acquired Kirill Marchenko earlier this season and for all intents and purposes he's basically Nylander. He's an offensive-driving winger with elite scoring potential, has fantastic speed, and he's firmly in the middle of his prime.
That sounds like a replacement for Nylander on the second line, and it's a genuine possibility we see a second line of McKenna - Tavares - Marchenko in the near future.
Marchenko would at least help with the possession aspect of the line, and be a godsend defensively compared to Nylander - he at least shows effort.
Nylander's mental game is causing issues on the ice
Nylander has the tools to be a game-breaker in the NHL but he does so at his own pace which often falls behind everyone else. If he doesn't feel like getting involved, he won't and it feels like when there's a chance to score he's motivated; otherwise he's apathetic.
And if he feels like the team wants to move on from him, then to him - why should he care?
That in and of itself is an incredibly selfish way of thinking and certainly isn't close to what we've seen from Nylander, but his on-ice performance shows that he lacks motivation at the most critical times.
If he's thinking that this season and by proxy the team have given up, then he feels that following suit will be the easiest way to get through the season.
Too bad it's starting to make fans turn on him, and despite all the love and respect he's earned in the past...he's slowly becoming a talking point for a completely different reason.
Do you think it's time the Maple Leafs though about trading William Nylander?
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