Joined: Feb. 2017
Posts: 458
Likes: 80
There is no threshold. If he's not signed by the TDL, he'll be traded. There is no way they keep him for a shot at the playoffs.
Even if the Leafs viewed Horvat as a piece worth pursuing, which they probably shouldn't, unless they are willing to part with Nylander, they don't have a premier young player to offer. They can only go the quantity over quality route, so if they really do want to come to the table on this, they better be prepared to part with two first round picks, to start with. One for Horvat, and one for making the money work: either through retention, through taking back a middling player in the deal or both.