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Jeff Marek reveals a trade failed involving William Nylander to a Western Conference team

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Feb 6, 2025 10:43 AM ET

The Leafs were very close to trading William Nylander to a Western Conference team, and Jeff Marek reveals talks broke down and it failed.

The 2018-19 campaign was one disappointing one for Leafs' enthusiasts. Toronto amassed 100 points (46-28-8) but, in a disappointing first-round defeat, in seven lost to the Boston Bruins.

Perhaps no narrative that year was larger than William Nylander's dispute with a new contract.

He was a restricted free agent who had played most of a full season with no new deal, holding out until almost December 1. Any later than that, and he would have become a free agent and might well have signed with another team.

William Nylander was nearly traded to the St. Louis Blues

Back then, he managed a meager seven goals and 27 assists in 54 contests played. NHL insider Jeff Marek recently revealed that then-GM Lou Lamoriello nearly traded Nylander for St. Louis Blues' bruiser Alex Pietrangelo when negotiations broke down.

All things considered, it's a lucky one that one did not go through. In the years following 2018-19, Nylander mustered 202 goals and 448 points, proving himself as one of the league's most exciting forwards.

Pietrangelo, a high-scoring, high-value blue lineman, mustered 67 goals and 272 points in that same period, valuable, but not in even in the same ballpark offensively.

Now, the Leafs are at a similar impasse over a new deal with Mitch Marner. Whatever happens with that one, one thing is for sure: Nylander's an integral part of the Leafs' heart and soul, and his worth today is many times his worth in 2018.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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