The Toronto Maple Leafs have made it official; they have signed and called up Alex Nylander. He will now get the chance to play with his brother, William Nylander, at the NHL level. The move comes after they announced that Matthew Knies has been placed on the IR as a result of the high hit he took during the Vegas Golden Knights game on Nov 20, 2024.
Nylander has been off to a great start with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 14 games, he had eight goals and four assists for 12 points. After such a strong start to the season, it wasn’t shocking that he eventually would have been signed to an NHL contract and called up to the NHL. His new deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $775,000 and will expire at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Nylander’s Early Career Struggles
It is no secret that Nylander has struggled in the NHL to this point in his career. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft, with the eighth pick, which was just seven picks behind Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as advertised. Over three seasons with the Sabres, he played in just 19 games and recorded six points. In 2019, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where his father, Michael Nylander, played. During his time with the Blackhawks, he played a career-high in games played with 65 and had a career-high in points with 26.
After his best season in his early career, he spent parts of the next three seasons in the AHL. In 2022, he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he looked to reset his career. Sadly, that didn’t happen; he only appeared in 14 games over two seasons and had two recorded points. Halfway through the 2023-24 season, he was traded again to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and similar to his time with the Blackhawks, he got off to a hot start. In 23 games with the Blue Jackets, he scored 15 points, which should have been good enough to earn a new contract.
Related: Maple Leafs Place Matthew Knies on Injured Reserve
However, he was left unqualified and tested the free agent market, where he decided to sign an AHL deal with the Marlies to be closer to his brother. Up to this point in his career, he has played in 121 NHL games over six seasons and scored 25 goals and 24 assists for 49 points. It is well-known that he won’t be given a permanent spot on the Maple Leafs roster, but with all the injuries that are piling up front, he will be given a spot to prove that he has what it takes to be an NHL player and their first call-up choice going forward.
It looks like Nylander will suit up for the Maple Leafs on Sunday, Nov 24, against the Utah Hockey Club for his debut with his new team. The question that every member of Leafs Nation wants to be answered is whether Alex and William will start on a line together or at some point in the game share the ice. It seems like the hockey gods will end up making it happen; if it doesn’t happen at the start of the game, head coach Craig Berube will likely make it happen at some point in the game.
