Alex Nylander Draws the Opportunity of a Lifetime in Pre-Season Debut with Maple Leafs

Earlier this summer, the Leafs made the interesting decision to reunite the Nylander brothers in Toronto when they signed Alex Nylander to a 1-year AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies. The move was met with a great deal of optimism, given how low-risk of a move it actually is.

In the early stages of training camp, Alex Nylander had met with the media, confirming that he had actually turned down legitimate NHL offers in hopes of beginning in Toronto on an AHL deal and working hard to earn himself an NHL deal in his desired location, with his brother and the Maple Leafs. Well, now it appears as though his hard work in training camp is being rewarded.

TSN's Mark Masters shared the lines from Leafs practice today on Twitter/X, and low and behold, Alex Nylander has drawn a top line assignment for tonight's grudge match with the Senators.

Nylander enjoyed a hot streak at the end of last season in Columbus when he notched 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games with the Blue Jackets to close out the season. Now, he'll be looking to not only expand on that offensive output, but also showcase his two-way game, which he has been working hard to improve.

A strong showing tonight in a top line role will go a long way in allowing Nylander to show the coaching staff in Toronto that he belongs in the NHL. GM Brad Treliving has already indicated that he is willing to part with veteran players to make room for younger guys if they can show that they deserve a roster spot, so the time is certainly now for Nylander to step into the lineup and show what he can do and give Treliving and the coaching staff something to think about.