The 1-for-1 trade the Maple Leafs must do before it's too late

With the Toronto Maple Leafs struggling, William Nylander's name has been brought up as a potential trade chip, and there is one player the Leafs need to target.

William Nylander has 22 points in 20 games this season, which isn't so bad until you realize he has just one point in his last three games. He has been playing lackluster hockey, and the effort just isn't there.

Furthermore, there has been a lack of accountability. He complains about not touching the puck enough, but won't make an effort to go after the puck.

Head coach Jim Hiller doesn't appear to be particularly impressed with Nylander's play, and has told him to backcheck if he wants the puck on his stick more. It was a strong message, but it's unclear if it was properly received.

Now, there are some rumblings that Nylander could be a trade chip. The Leafs are going to have to start clearing out cap space, and Nylander is one of the biggest offenders of the previous Core Four's inability to take responsibility for bad hockey.

With the Leafs also looking to revitalize their defensive core, there is a trade to be made here, and Nylander could very well be the centerpiece.

William Nylander for a superstar defenseman?

While it might just be a fantasy at this point, one could argue that the Leafs could do a one-for-one trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Zach Werenski.

There are rumblings that Werenski wants out of Columbus, and the Leafs have wanted the defenseman for a while now. Not to mention, the Leafs and Blue Jackets already did business involving Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies.

The Blue Jackets are a team that could use a flashy forward, and William Nylander certainly serves that purpose. Of course, whether or not the Blue Jackets want to give up someone like Werenski for him remains to be seen.

What is clear at this point is that Nylander and the Leafs are no longer good for one another. Nylander is the kind of player the dynasty begins without.

That might be a harsh assessment of the situation, but it is difficult to argue otherwise given everything we have seen over the past few years.

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