After facing years of pressure from large portions of Leafs Nation, Kyle Dubas finally traded Nylander. Well, a Nylander, that is. When Dubas took over the Pittsburgh Penguins' operation, he inherited the younger Nylander brother, Alex. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old was unable to solidify himself as an every day player under Dubas, and he was dealt to Columbus along with a conditional pick on Feb 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom.
Since the trade, Bemstrom has scored one goal and assisted on two more for three points in 12 games. While Bemstrom has been a disappointment in Pittsburgh, Nylander has exploded offensively for the Blue Jackets. He is now up to 8 goals and 3 assists for 11 points in 11 games since joining the Blue Jackets. He's also been promoted all the way up to the Jackets' top line, playing beside Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Keep in mind, it was Dubas who had to add a pick to get this deal done for Bemstrom.
Alex joins a growing list of players given up by Dubas that have gone on to be successful elsewhere, including Zach Hyman, Nazem Kadri, Mason Marchment, Trevor Moore, and Sean Durzi. At some point, one has to wonder if Dubas isn't the hockey savant he's been billed as. He seemed to be learning in his final season in Toronto, but after a self-imposed, disastrous season in Pittsburgh, maybe he's just a bad GM.
