Mandatory Photo Credit: Alex McIntyre
A quick search of 2020 Philadelphia Flyers trade rumors will reveal opinions as to why or why not Patrik Laine should be acquired. One reason why the Flyers and Winnipeg Jets never agreed to a deal for Laine is the number of assets Philadelphia would have to give away. From the Flyers, we’re talking Shayne Gostisbehere, two more defensive prospects, Nolan Patrick, Michael Raffl, a forward prospect, and a first-round draft pick. Two months later, the rumor mill is buzzing again. However, Patrik Laine isn’t the one sounding the trade rumor alarm; instead it is William Nylander.
To receive Nylander, the Philadelphia Flyers would send a possible first-line defenseman. No, not Ivan Provorov, but perhaps Travis Sanheim. In comparison to the Laine trade projection, the Flyers aren’t losing the same amount of capital, but this isn’t a stable defensive unit as it stands.
What William Nylander Offers
A common trend throughout the two buzzworthy Philadelphia Flyers trade rumors during the 2020 offseason is scoring. Patrik Laine is a 22-year-old right-wing who has proven his scoring prowess. William Nylander (24-years-old) has been a playmaker through most of his career but is a better two-way winger. In 2019-2020, Nylander became a scorer. If the Flyers were to take up one of these trade offers, they should get the complete player in Nylander.
As the Philadelphia Flyers receiving scoring help, the Toronto Maple Leafs cap space would increase if they traded William Nylander for Travis Sanheim. It isn’t often that a team makes a trade, a player for a player, straight up. Someone is going to have to offer a little more, and it may be the Flyers. In his role, Nylander is not a physical player. Trading a defenseman for Nylander would diminish the style and moxy festering in Philadelphia’s identity.
Last season, William Nylander scored 59 total points, which ties Sean Couturier (second on the Philadelphia Flyers in scoring.) There are some tendencies in Nylander’s game that remind me of Couturier, but it stops at physicality. Offensively, the two players are nearly identical. Of course, Couturier is the prototype, but Nylander could prosper heavily in Philadelphia alongside him.
William Nylander is the Right Player but Wrong Time
If the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted to trade William Nylander for Travis Sanheim outright, Chuck Fletcher would usually contemplate accepting that offer. The reason why he should not has everything to do with timing. At the moment, the Philadelphia Flyers’ secondary concern is scoring. Primarily, the Flyers need to be most concerned with the defensive pairings. Sanheim offers a dose of familiarity to a defensive structure without Matt Niskanen and with Shayne Gostisbehere halfway out the door.
On the Philadelphia Flyers, their deepest avenue of hockey is the forwards. William Nylander plays on the wing. The Flyers are deep at the center position. Chuck Fletcher adding Erik Gustafsson, who can play both sides of the ice, adds minimal flexibility. The Matt Niskanen-sized void hasn’t been accounted for.
In 2020-2021, Travis Sanheim is very important within the Philadelphia Flyers defensive unit. The second pairing is one that needs to remain the same. It’s why the extension of Philippe Myers remains such a hot topic in the offseason. Myers has yet to agree with the Flyers, which technically makes the defense thinner. A trade for William Nylander effectively is “subtraction by addition.”
A Counter Offer
Chuck Fletcher and the Philadelphia Flyers can only trade one defenseman if they wish in 2020-2021. Fletcher has been open about Shayne Gostisbehere being on the trade block, but there is no doubt the Flyers would have to sweeten the deal for William Nylander. This week, Nolan Patrick is back to skating and feeling better. Now, Philadelphia would be back to trading a defenseman with blue-line scoring tendencies and a forward to replace Nylander. The Toronto Maple Leafs would also open $1.571mil in cap space.
Of course, it is a win that the Philadelphia Flyers unload Shayne Gostisbehere’s contract, and it is a gamble the Toronto Maple Leafs trust in Nolan Patrick as he’s coming off of a migraine disorder (that doesn’t ever really go away.) Looking at the bright side, Gostisbehere (27-years-old) can do the same things Travis Sanheim (24-years-old) can. Patrick (22-years-old) has a whole promising career ahead of him and replicates William Nylander’s game. If the Maple Leafs are ready to commit to a one-for-one between Nylander and Sanheim, then this counter isn’t crazy. Adding a second-round draft pick in this package from the Flyers would help.
