A Disappointing Camp for Alex Nylander Likely to Result in Tough Decision for Leafs
Alex Nylander's disappointing training camp may have pushed him further away from the goal of playing with his brother for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Near the end of July, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Alex Nylander had signed an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies and a large faction of Leafs Nation rejoiced in the possibility of the Nylander brothers playing together.
Alex, the younger of the two, has had a much tougher ride in the NHL than William. After being drafted 8th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, Alex Nylander has only suited up for 121 contests with just 25 goals and 49 points to his name. His best season came in 2019-20 when he registered 26 points in 65 games for Chicago, but he has generally remained an AHL mainstay over the years.
After just 5 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and another 43 for their AHL affiliate last year, Nylander was traded to Columbus, where he registered 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets. There was a lot of optimism surrounding his name after his end-of-season performance and the Leafs gave him a shot.
Unfortunately it hasn't worked out as planned and his two performances during the pre-season have left a lot to be desired, especially his top-6 role during his first game.
Nylander has averaged a shade under 14 and a half minutes of ice time, has registered 3 shots on goal, is a minus-1, and has no points to speak of. The Maple Leafs' bottom-6 will more than likely include Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and Ryan Reaves on the wings, leaving no room for Nylander, who has seemingly allowed his opportunity to slip during the pre-season while most others around him have flourished. Even beyond the aforementioned players, there's the possibility that Easton Cowan can make the lineup as well, painting a pretty bleak picture for the younger Nylander brother.
Nylander looks better suited to help out the Marlies in the AHL, where he's done a much better job at producing. He has tallied 56 goals and 112 points in 142 games over this last 3 seasons. For now, his chances of making the Leafs out of camp appear to be of the "slim to none" variety.
