Maple Leafs' William Nylander makes his thoughts known about $40,950,000 Mammoth star as trade rumors heat up

The Toronto Maple Leafs earned their third straight win with a 5-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday. William Nylander scored one goal and added one assist in the game. The 2014 first-round pick has been leading the Leafs with 20 points this season.

This week, Nylander spoke about Utah forward Nick Schmaltz, who did not record a point that night, despite a hot start this season.

"He’s one of the most underrated players, I think, in the league," Nylander said during an interview with The Athletic. "He’s unbelievable, actually."

The Maple Leafs are starting to play more consistently after a slow start. Nylander has helped lead that improvement with steady scoring. He continues to be one of Toronto’s top offensive players this season, but after Mitch Marner's departure, there's a need for another offensive forward on the Leafs' roster.

Nick Schmaltz has been a key player for the Utah Mammoth this year. In 14 games, he has scored 8 goals and added 10 assists. He leads the team in points, and his calm style has helped Utah maintain a 9-5-0 record. Schmaltz is 29 and has experience that could prove beneficial for any team. Now, could he be the solution for Toronto?

Nylander has played with Schmaltz before his NHL draft, when they were both teenagers. They played for the Chicago Mission Bantam AAA team in the 2010-11 season. Recalling his old memories while playing with Schmaltz, he said,

"We were unstoppable, it felt like. We were just on fire,"

Nylander's praise and Schmaltz being in the last year of his seven-year, $40.95 million contract hint at a potential opportunity for Toronto. His deal expires after the 2025-26 season, and right now, he is waiting for a possible contract extension. But the talks are slow, and Schmaltz's trade rumors have surfaced.

Toronto Maple Leafs' domination over the Mammoth

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Utah Mammoth after controlling 54.9% of the faceoffs. Utah’s Michael Carcone scored first late in the opening period. But, William Nylander tied it early in the second, and Auston Matthews gave Toronto a 2-1 lead soon after.

Mikhail Sergachev made it 2-2 before John Tavares scored his 501st goal to put the Maple Leafs ahead. Matias Maccelli added another against his former team, and Matthew Knies scored into an empty net.

Matthews said Maccelli played very well and said,

"He had a big goal for us there. I’m sure that one feels good against his old team."

Dylan Guenther scored the third goal for Utah with nearly a minute left on the clock for the final score.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar