Ducks deal not on Leaf speed dial

Hockey is all speed and tailormade for the smaller player, except goalies as (Curtis Joseph pointed out recently). So is it turning into a higher calibre junior league? — Ken W. The salary cap has changed how teams approach young players, perhaps rushing them. But one thing: young players tend to be fast, and the game is very fast, so at least in that sense, yes, they’re fast. Kasperi Kapanen is scoring at the same pace as William Nylander did last year, increasing the value of his next contract. It is becoming obvious the Leafs will not have cap space beyond this year to sign both given the anticipated contracts required to retain Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Also, they won’t be able to match the market number necessary to retain Jake Gardiner. So, should they work on a sign-and-trade for Nylander now and could their trade partner be the Ducks, who need scoring? Right defencemen Josh Manson (four years, $4.1 million) or Brandon Montour (two years, $3.4M) could be targets. — Bill I see you’re doing Kyle Dubas’s work for him. Kapanen won’t get a big money deal. Something in the $2-million range, along the lines of Connor Brown and Zach Hyman. He will have played only one full year and doesn’t have the resume of Nylander. So Kapanen will be affordable. To me, yes, it’s Gardiner that’s in the more vulnerable situation and Nylander in terms of not being here long-term. You can only trade with a willing partner. Don’t see the Ducks yet as willing to move those two. If they continue to struggle, their older players will become available though. Forget Nylander. Get rid of him. He obviously doesn’t want to play as part of a team, so let him go. We need a defenceman (we need four). He has made himself expendable. — Don C A common sentiment. Who is this defenceman the Leafs should get for Nylander? And if Nylander wants $8 million a year from Toronto, surely he wants $8 million from another team. I don’t see any teams lining up to pay him that. In his book Game Misconduct, Russ Conway writes how John Ziegler, Bill Wirtz and Alan Eagleson lobbied to get Bob Pulford elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame when arguably more worthy candidates still wait their turn. One candidate is Rick Middleton, who had 493 goals and 1,098 points over 14 seasons. Glenn Anderson was elected with 499 goals and he played with Gretzky, Kurri and others. Couldn’t the veterans’ committee look at Middleton for the hall? — Bill D Middleton retired with 448 goals and 540 assists for 988 points in 1,005 games, and added 100 points in 114 playoff games. Worthy of the hall. I am a realist and know this scenario would never happen but, if Leaf management really wanted to play dirty and go full out nuclear with Nylander and just didn’t care about the repercussions, what could they do? Could they not sign him for five years and prevent him from playing in the NHL? — Florida Bernie In theory, yes, that would be the nuclear option. A trade would be more likely. To a bad team.