![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/hischier-e1776512109198.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
A trade idea involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils could turn out to be a win-win for all sides.<\/p>\n
The Toronto Maple<\/a> Leafs and New Jersey Devils hit the offseason in a similar spot. Both were talented teams on paper with high expectations. Yet, neither team delivered on the ice. That situation led to leadership changes in the executive suite.<\/p>\n Regardless of the changes in the management group, the on-ice issues remain. One issue for incoming Devils GM Sunny Mehta will be extending captain Nico Hischier. However, the former first-overall pick from the 2017 NHL Draft didn\u2019t seem too happy about this season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt sucks. It sucks to be out of the playoffs. Obviously the ultimate goal is for me winning a (Stanley) cup in New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 Nico Hischier <\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs face a conundrum with William Nylander, who has seemingly checked out of Toronto. While he has said he\u2019s willing to grind out a short-term retool, he\u2019d rather jump ship if a full-on rebuild happens in Toronto.<\/p>\n That situation raises the question: What if a 1-for-1 trade between the Maple Leafs and Devils could alleviate the pressure for both players and organizations?<\/p>\n Maple Leafs get:<\/p>\n Nico Hischier, F<\/p>\n Devils get:<\/p>\n William Nylander, F<\/p>\n This trade idea would certainly raise some eyebrows<\/a>. However, it would allow both organizations to hit a turning point of sorts. The move would also give both stars a fresh start, though they\u2019d be entering relatively similar situations.<\/p>\n Why Hischier Makes Sense for Maple Leafs <\/p>\n Hischier makes a ton of sense for the Maple Leafs. Unlike Nylander, he\u2019s a center. And he\u2019d be a perfect second-line center to play behind Auston Matthews. Adding Hischier would give the Maple Leafs solid depth down the middle.<\/p>\n The Leafs could deploy Matthews as the 1C, Hischier at 2C, and John Tavares as the 3C. As for the 4C, the Leafs have various options in the AHL to utilize in that role.<\/p>\n Also, Hischier is not a defensive liability like Nylander. As such, the current Devils captain would provide some much-needed defensive reliability for the club.<\/p>\n As for scoring, Hischier notched 28 goals and 66 points in 82 games. That\u2019s pretty much on par with Nylander. Hischier is not a 40-goal scorer, but he is a fantastic all-around top-six forward.<\/p>\n What to read next: Maple Leafs Rumors: Knies Linked to Surprising Rebuilding Team<\/a><\/p>\n Toronto Would Need to Extend Hischier<\/p>\n The biggest risk that could come from this trade would be the Maple Leafs\u2019 need to extend Hischier. The 27-year-old is entering the final year of his current seven-year, $50.75 million contract. The final season comes with a $7.25 million contract.<\/p>\n Perhaps the trade comes with a contract extension in tow. Even if it doesn\u2019t, the Leafs would need to figure out an extension for him. It wouldn\u2019t be ludicrous to see Hischier get something like a four-year deal around $10 to $11 million per season. That\u2019s what the Leafs could do with Nylander\u2019s cap hit coming off the books.<\/p>\n Lastly, no-trade clauses could get in the way. The Maple Leafs would have to contend with Hischier\u2019s 10-team no-trade clause, while Nylander has a full no-move<\/a>. Assuming those clauses would not get in the way, a deal would be worthwhile to at least explore by both sides.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth pointing out that the new leadership in Toronto and New Jersey would be looking to make a splash. So, why not consider a deal such as this?<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tNestor Quixtan<\/a> Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Maple Leafs\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty A trade idea involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils could turn out to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":555273,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5109],"tags":[201,5,576,151,5185,5184,4],"class_list":{"0":"post-555272","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-jersey-devils","8":"tag-devils","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-new-jersey","11":"tag-new-jersey-devils","12":"tag-newjersey","13":"tag-newjerseydevils","14":"tag-nhl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116425910169590315","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555272","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=555272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555272\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/555273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=555272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}