Hockey Insider Suggests Maple Leafs May Blow It Up

This season is going to be huge for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they look to finally win a playoff series. This is something they haven't done in 15 years and the likes of Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander haven't tasted playoff victory together. 

While there's always pressure to succeed in Toronto, way more than any other franchise, the roster and management know this year is bigger than most.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has gone as far as saying if the Maple Leafs don't enjoy some playoff success this season, a blockbuster trade or two will follow:

If Toronto doesn't have a good year this year there's going to be changes and Kyle Dubas wanted to hang on to the "Big 4". Matthews is not getting traded, Tavares is not getting traded. If they ever have to do it it's one of two guys. This group knows if they don't do something this year, big changes are coming. They know it. So I think they will be determined.

Correct, Matthews isn't getting traded and Tavares is older with a contract that no other team will want to take off the Leafs hands. That leaves Marner and Nylander. 

Marner's no-movement clause doesn't kick in until 2023 and Nylander has zero trade protection. Nylander makes almost $4 million less than Marner and is only one year older. His contract has a tremendous amount of value considering he's a 30-goal winger at less than $7 million per season. 

Who would you trade first? Mitch Marner or William Nylander? Let us know in the comments....

Photo credit:  Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire