Brad Treliving Makes Shocking Decision With William Nylander: The Pending Free Agent Has Been Given Permission to Talk With Other Teams

With comparable players earning as much as $12-Million, the Maple Leafs will need to get very creative to keep him, with cap space already running tight.

Auston Matthews' recently-signed extension, which carries an annual average value of $13.25-Million, the highest salary in NHL history, makes things even tougher.

Nylander's elite skill is undeniable, with his game taking another step this year. He scored this gorgeous shorthanded goal last weekend, showing off the way he can singlehandedly shift a game for his team.

The pure skill and creativity in his game make him a wild commodity for a team. With this in mind, it appears Brad Treliving has shifted his focus. Realizing his problem, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, who took over from Kyle Dubas this summer, has made a surprising decision - he has allowed Nylander to speak with other teams, opting for a trade rather than losing him for nothing in June.

Per renowned insider Eklund, the Maple Leafs have allowed Nylander, who has a whopping 46 points this season, to pursue a trade to another team.

The Maple Leafs are likely unable to absorb any salary retention, but with the enormous value Nylander carries, a high-end roster player would almost certainly come in return. This makes the salary a non-issue, and would be ideal for the Maple Leafs as they would get a player with term to add to their core, avoiding the inflated free agent market.

Similar contracts to Nylander's in the past years have been David Pastrnak's 8-year $90-Million extension in Boston, and Artemi Panarin's 7-year $81.5-Million deal ($11.643-Million Annually).

Panarin's deal would be the benchmark, as high-end forwards seldom hit free agency. Considering Panarin's deal was signed when the salary cap was $81.5-Million, the equivalent cap percentage would be $13.3-Million annually (assuming the Salary Cap goes up to the projected $87.7M), something the Maple Leafs certainly cannot afford.

There aren't many teams that could afford him, but the teams he is interested in playing for have emerged.

Per Eklund, Nylander's preferred destination would be the Los Angeles Kings, but more likely he would end up in the neighbouring Anaheim as they have cap space to spare and an exciting young core.

Any team would represent a downgrade in linemate quality, as Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner are high-end players. However, driving his own line, Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Corey Perry, Ryan Strome, Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano are all great players in their own right.

If Anaheim is the destination, he could be a part of a future cup champion.

If the Maple Leafs are committed to keeping Nylander, another trade may be possible. Small moves won't get it done, such as moving on from players like David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok, but if the Maple Leafs choose to move on from a player like Mitchell Marner, who has disappointed this year, but could still fetch an absolute haul in a trade, a deal would be possible. Marner's $10.903M salary would allow the team to keep Nylander and have room for another impact trade.

If Nylander is willing to take a very significant discount, such as a deal in the upper-8M range (similar to a Timo Meier, or Dylan Larkin contract), the Maple Leafs could find a way, but if he wanted to fetch the salary, he would need to change jerseys for the first time since being drafted in 2014.

If Nylander chooses a route other than Southern California, a return to his hometown Calgary Flames could be possible. The Flames will likely have to move on from Elias Lindholm this year, meaning they will have ample space to sign Nylander, a trade for pending free agent defenseman Noah Hanifin, and former star goalie Jacob Markstrom could bolster their roster more than one forward, and thus a pre-deadline deal could work as well. For Treliving and the Leafs, this may be the best scenario.

It's no secret the Maple Leafs don't have an elite pool of prospects, despite having some exciting names in Fraser Minten, Easton Cowan, Ty Voit, and a smattering of goaltenders, but losing Nylander for nothing would be a massive blunder by the organization.

With Treliving having a lot to prove in his first year as the Maple Leafs general manager, the question lies --

What brings more value to the team? Three months of Nylander and then absolutely nothing, or three months of Noah Hanifin and Jacob Markstrom, along with other assets acquired in the deal? The decision is more complicated than it seems, but the logical fan can see a path forward.

What do you think Treliving should do with the Canadian/Swedish star?