Rumor: Leafs almost dealt William Nylander at deadline

According to a source connected to the Maple Leafs, the team was giving strong consideration to the thought of trading forward William Nylander at the deadline.

The Leafs were believed to be discussing several trades which included Nylander, with teams such as the Minnesota Wild, LA Kings, and Calgary Flames.

GM Kyle Dubas had a right-handed defenseman with term at the top of his wish list and was believed to be very close to pulling the trigger. The team is expected to revisit talks at the NHL Draft in June, and also could be in the free agent market for a couple of big names.

Keep an eye on Willy come playoff time for the Maple Leafs. If it's clear he's not able to turn it up another level and become battle tested for playoff hockey, expect the team to move on from the Swedish winger.