If the Toronto Maple Leafs are indeed willing to discuss a Matthew Nese trade — and multiple sports insiders say they were at the deadline — he would get the team a far better return than Auston Matthews or William Nylander. So says insider Nick Kyprios, and his explanation, focused on the fact that Nease has no trade protections, makes sense:
If the Leafs are looking to make a big splash, a deal with Nese could attract a bidding war that would involve far more teams, rather than shopping around for Auston Matthews or William Nylander, who have no upside and will essentially be picking up their future teams. With Nese, the Leafs can control the entire process, giving them a good selection of high-level talent to choose from.
To that end, Kyprios has named three teams that would make the most sense as trade partners for the Leafs in any Matthew Nease negotiations. Starting with the team that actually started all these rumors in the first place:
montreal canadiens
GM Kent Hughes got everyone's attention when he said after the deadline that he was working on something "important" down to the wire, and could revisit it in the summer. The Nice rumors arose courtesy of Kyprios and other insiders like Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and TVA's Renaud Lavoie.
The Leafs will be looking for “three or four pieces,” and of course, the Habs are loaded with top young players and prospects. Kiper says Michael Hayes, Dave Rickenbacker, Owen Beck and Caden Guhle will be "interesting names to watch".
chicago blackhawks
Another team full of young assets that they can offer. They aren't on the same level as the Canadiens to become a serious contender, but Nese would be a big addition for them as they take the next step. Kiper explains that the Hawks already had interest in Nese a few years ago, when former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas talked to them about a trade that would bring Brandon Hagel to Toronto. "The Blackhawks' interest in Nese has not waned," Kyprios writes.
The Mammoth have a number of notable prospects that could interest the Leafs in a Nese trade package
utah mammoth
They're looking to make a big splash up front, and though they acquired a coveted trade piece at the deadline in the form of defenseman McKenzie Weegar, they're still looking for a top-six difference maker. Kiper named a number of impressive prospects for the Mammoth that would be of great interest to the Leafs, including Caleb Desnoyers, Taj Iginla, Maverick Lamoureux and Russian Daniel Butt.
Kyprios summed it up for Toronto by saying "If this deadline proves anything, it's that if a trade doesn't involve one of Matthews, Nylander or Nease, it's going to be hard to add significant picks and prospects."
