The Toronto Marlies signed Alexander Nylander to a one-year AHL contract. As of now, Nylander still has the opportunity to sign an NHL deal with any team, including the Leafs. Given his draft status, eighth overall in the 2018 draft, and recent production, with 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, an AHL contract is a bit of a surprise.
Player profile
Alex Nylander is not his brother, William Nylander, though there are plenty of similarities. Alex has many of the quality offensive tools that William does: slick hands, a shot to score from distance, and composure with the puck.
Clearly, Alex’s play away from the puck has been the issue, failing to gain traction with his NHL coaches on bad teams throughout his career so far. Despite his talents, Nylander has found himself stuck in a dangerous window of limited ice time, waivers, and healthy scratches.
At 26 years old, Alex Nylander is not what would be described as a prospect. Perhaps the term “project” is more suited, as there is a conceivable path to greater upside for Nylander. The Leafs keeping him off the NHL books saves a roster spot, but there might be more at play here. Is this a one-year plan to capitalize on the Leafs impressive developmental apparatus? Or a way to bypass waivers until Nylander can make the team outright?
Where he might fit
While his brotherly tie to William Nylander certainly plays a part in the story, Alex does provide the Leafs with an interesting forward option to keep a close eye on. Alex Nylander should be a mainstay of Leafs facilities leading up to the season, and will be thinking of making a good initial impression.
Training camp will be competitive, with a number of capable prospects looking to take advantage of the power vacuum a coaching change provides. Craig Berube taking over behind the bench will be an opportunity for players in camp to make a name for themselves, even if in the shape of a midseason injury call-up, or a bigger chance in the 2025–26 training camp.
Nylander joins a forward group that is fairly deep at full health. It has been difficult enough for scoring wingers to get opportunities in recent years, as Nicholas Robertson would attest. Given the stylistic similarities, Nylander will have his work cut out for him to make the team out of camp. Had the Leafs signed him to an NHL contract, that would mean risking a waiver claim, perhaps keeping Nylander in limbo, bouncing across the league’s waiver churning.
What about Robertson
Nylander is at best as good a player as Robertson, and is four years older than the incumbent and unsigned RFA. Some more radical offensive thinkers might relish an NHL bottom six forward group chock-full of scoring wingers, it is not likely that GM Brad Treliving or coach Craig Berube would be the most likely candidates to be among them.
There is a lot of noise around Robertson, between the pending contract status and the outstanding trade request. To some extent, the scoring wingers auditioning for NHL roles will be competing against each other, but if the Leafs do find a trade partner for Robertson, Nylander might provide similar value as an extra forward. The best-case scenario is that Robertson breaks out, becoming a key part of the Leafs forward group.
Big picture
Unfortunately for both the Leafs, Nylander, and Robertson, fringe scoring wingers with limited dimension are once again being left on the open market, unsigned into late July. At the very least, Alex Nylander will have guaranteed playing time in Toronto, which should give him the chance to make improvements to his game.
It is reasonable to assume that Nylander is committed to that vision, that taking time to improve the defensive details of his game will lead to a longer NHL career than a chance to win a tenuous lineup spot out of training camp. Perhaps at a later time, another team will swoop in to sign Nylander to an NHL deal, but in the short term, Nylander is clearly bought into playing the long game with the Leafs.
While there are defensive talents, often defensive competence is within reach to all players with the will and effort to buy in fully. Nylander might require some runway to improve in these ways, but this signing points to the right attitude.
As a person, William Nylander comes across as carefree, confident, and composed, but his on-ice persona has increasingly become more determined, demanding, and disciplined. William is renowned for his commitment to training, and has willed himself into a more complete player and leader. At the very least, William will be a great help to his brother this offseason. Under these circumstances, it is very likely that Alex Nylander will be as best supported as he can be on his quest for NHL games. Or even, his best hope at having a more secure roster spot heading into 2025–26 than he is this season.
