{"id":455907,"date":"2026-02-12T18:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T18:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/455907\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T18:30:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T18:30:22","slug":"maple-leafs-news-rumours-nylander-oel-raddysh-rielly-the-hockey-writers-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/455907\/","title":{"rendered":"Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Nylander, OEL, Raddysh & Rielly – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a lively stretch for Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> fans, even with the Olympic break. A few Maple Leafs have already made early headlines overseas, and their performances\u2014good, bad, or simply confusing\u2014are giving us plenty to talk about. The games might be happening in Milan, but the ripple effects have found their way back home.<\/p>\n

Related: Olympics Could Change the Auston Matthews Hostility in Toronto<\/a><\/p>\n

At the same time, the rumour mill refuses to sleep. Once again, the Maple Leafs are being linked to another right-shot defenceman, and once again, the path to getting him is far messier than the talk-show debates make it sound. Here\u2019s a look at what\u2019s real, what\u2019s noise, and what it means for Toronto moving forward.<\/p>\n

Item One: William Nylander Delivers on the Olympic Stage<\/p>\n

Sweden\u2019s opener on Wednesday was supposed to be a comfortable tune-up. Instead, Italy hung around far longer than expected before Sweden finally locked down a 5\u20132 win. The key moment came from William Nylander, who stepped up when the game needed settling<\/a>. Despite being a game-time decision after missing practice, he buried the go-ahead goal right after Italy tied things 2\u20132. It wasn\u2019t flashy\u2014just smart, calm, and perfectly timed.<\/p>\n

\"WilliamWilliam Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers during the first period of Game One of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
(Photo by Mark Blinch\/NHLI via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The rest of Sweden\u2019s scoring came from a mix of familiar NHL names, but it was Nylander\u2019s contribution that broke the tension. Italy\u2019s two goals gave the building some life, but Sweden\u2019s skill eventually took over. For the Maple Leafs, it\u2019s another reminder of how steady Nylander has become: big moment, tight game, and he\u2019s right in the middle of it, making the smart play.<\/p>\n

(OEL) had a strange outing. Technically, he dressed for Sweden\u2019s win. Realistically, he may as well have been carrying a clipboard. He didn\u2019t log a single shift\u2014an odd sight for someone who\u2019s become a steady part of Toronto\u2019s top four this season.<\/p>\n

Related: The Maple Leafs\u2019 Single Biggest Problem<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a big difference from his first Olympic run in 2014, when he played real minutes and helped Sweden earn silver. This time, he was parked on the bench, sitting beside Filip Forsberg while the game tightened in the second period.<\/p>\n

\"OliverOliver Ekman-Larsson, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Mark Blinch\/NHLI via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a slight on his season, though. After he was bought out by the Vancouver Canucks in 2023, he rebuilt his game with the Florida Panthers, won the Cup, and turned himself into a trusted voice on the Maple Leafs\u2019 blue line. Even if he didn\u2019t see the ice in this one, his performance in Toronto has earned more respect than his Olympic deployment suggests.<\/p>\n

Item Three: The Darren Raddysh Dream Meets Reality<\/p>\n

Now to the rumour that\u2019s been making the rounds: Darren Raddysh<\/a>. Every year, the Maple Leafs circle back to the same shopping list. They want a mobile right-shot defenceman, a good puck mover, and someone who can steady the blue line. On paper, this season, Raddysh checks all the boxes, and thanks to Nick Kypreos pumping the storyline<\/a>, it\u2019s picking up steam.<\/p>\n

Related: Maple Leafs Need to Think Carefully Before Gambling on Raddysh\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the real snag: Morgan Rielly isn\u2019t moving. He has a no-movement clause, four years left on his deal, and hasn\u2019t shown even a hint of willingness to waive it. Fans can wish for cap gymnastics, but that contract isn\u2019t going anywhere. If Toronto wants Raddysh, they have to build the deal around something else.<\/p>\n

\"MorganMorgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo of the Toronto Maple Leafs (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the Tampa Bay Lightning. They\u2019re not just tossing Raddysh out the door. He\u2019s having a strong season, he fits their style perfectly, and they\u2019ll want real assets coming back. (And, Fraser Minten has already been traded to the Boston Bruins.) The number floating around for an extension\u2014somewhere in the $5\u2013$6 million range\u2014only complicates things further. For the Maple Leafs, that\u2019s a tight squeeze no matter how you arrange the lineup.<\/p>\n

In the end, it\u2019s the same old story. The idea looks great on the whiteboard, but the execution is a mountain. Rielly\u2019s unmovable contract, Tampa Bay\u2019s leverage, and Raddysh\u2019s rising value make this a tough road to walk. It\u2019s funny in a way: not long ago, Rielly was supposed to be the long-term answer to the exact problem Toronto is trying to fix again. Now he\u2019s the obstacle that makes the whole idea fall apart.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next for Maple Leafs Olympic Players?<\/p>\n

The tournament is just getting started, and the Maple Leafs already have a pair of early storylines\u2014Nylander making an impact and Ekman-Larsson quietly waiting his turn. As the games tighten up, their minutes, roles, and moments will only grow more interesting. And back in Toronto, the front office continues to wrestle with the big-picture questions that never seem to go away.<\/p>\n

Related: Whatever Happened to Ex-Maple Leafs Goalie Matt Murray?<\/a><\/p>\n

Plenty more to come\u2014on the ice in Milan and in the rumour mill at home. Auston Matthews plays today, that could be fun.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s been a lively stretch for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, even with the Olympic break. A few Maple…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":455908,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[2580,5,20,5172,4,782,66,31,5171,1114],"class_list":{"0":"post-455907","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-maple-leafs","8":"tag-darren-raddysh","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-maple-leafs","11":"tag-mapleleafs","12":"tag-nhl","13":"tag-oliver-ekman-larsson","14":"tag-toronto","15":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","16":"tag-torontomapleleafs","17":"tag-william-nylander"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116059091636057650","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=455907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/455907\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/455908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=455907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=455907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=455907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}