Sign him or trade him.



General thinking on William Nylander seems to centre on those two possibilities for the Toronto Maple Leafs when it comes to the unsigned 22-year-old. But what about the third option and what I’d argue is the preferable avenue if the Leafs can’t sign Nylander before Dec. 1: let him sit out the entire season.



Let’s stress, first off, that this is an end of road scenario. The best course for GM Kyle Dubas and the Leafs remains getting Nylander under some sort of contract — even if it’s only a short-term pact. And perhaps as December inches closer and the threat of this possibility becomes more real the two sides compromise and come to an agreement.



Judging by Elliotte Friedman’s report over the weekend on Hockey Night in Canada, the likelihood of that seems to have shrunk to the point that the Leafs are ready to move on from the flashy young Swede. However appealing that might sound for the organization...