For Europeans, the World Championships always hold lots of meaning and the Swedes within the Leafs' organization, Nylander and Timothy Liljegren were notably eager to join the tourney. A report from Gord Miller earlier today raised lots of eyebrows:
This raises lots of intrigue since Liljegren was given permission, but not Nylander. This situation offers lots of 'Asset Protection' vibes perhaps because the Leaf intends on trading their Swedish star. If he were injured during the tournament, this would hurt his trade value.
Nylander has a modified no-trade clause (10-team list) that will kick in on July 1st, 2023 and once the 2023-2024 season ends, he'll have complete control of his next destination. The Maple Leafs will have many tough choices to make soon since there is no way they'll be able to retain all of the core 4's services, Nylander and Matthews only have a year remaining on their deals, while Tavares and Marner have two.
