Leafs organization brings in William Nylander's brother
PUBLICATION
Tom Banks
July 28, 2024 (5:52 PM)
The Toronto Maple Leafs need an infusion of talent in their bottom six, and now they've added someone with unlimited potential and a connection to the team.
Alex Nylander had a breakout year in the NHL last season, and now he's been rewarded in free agency, as the younger brother of a href='https://www.markerzone.com/hockey/stats/nhl/player/William-Nylander-41905' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>William Nylander now joins him with the Maple Leafs organization. On Sunday, the team announced that Nylander is signing a deal with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL as he looks to find a consistent role in the NHL.
"The Toronto Marlies announced today that the hockey club has signed forward Alex Nylander to a one-year AHL contract.
Nylander, 26, recorded 11 goals and four assists in 23 games with the Columbus BlueJackets in the 2023-24 season after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins.He also appeared in 43 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL),registering 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists). In 121 career NHL games, the Calgary native has collected 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists) split between Columbus, Pittsburgh, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres. The 6'1, 192-pound forward has skated in 330 career AHL games, collecting 94 goals and 116 assists through six seasons. Nylander was originally selected by the Sabres in the first round (8th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft.
Internationally, he represented Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships, capturing a silver medal.
The Toronto Marlies are the primary development program for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since 2005, 82 players have dressed for the Maple Leafs following their first appearance as a Marlie, including Timothy Liljegren, Bobby McMann, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Marshall Rifai, Nicholas Robertson, Alex Steeves and Joseph Woll." Nylander finished 2023/24 strong with his first real shot in the NHL, netting 11 goals and 16 points in 23 goals with Columbus, and while he starts in the AHL next year, he could potentially push for the NHL in a significant bottom-six role. It would be a fantastic story to see both Nylander's on the same team in the NHL, and while that's still a long way away, if Alex can continue building on last year, he may finally live up to the potential.
Source: Blade of Steel
Alex Nylander signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs Organization
POLL |
Will Alex Nylander be a full-time NHLer with Toronto in 2024/25? |
Yes | 52 | 37.1 % |
No | 88 | 62.9 % |
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