Maple Leafs Bench Boss Craig Berube Casually Dunks on Alex Nylander's Play
Head coach Craig Berube comments on Alex Nylander's play with the Maple Leafs, fueling speculation about his NHL future.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs' regulars begin to return from injury, depth players who have been filling in will be pushed back down to the American Hockey League one-by-one, unless trades are made to open up roster spot. This seems to be the case for newly signed Alex Nylander.
Nylander had initially signed an AHL contract with the Maple Leafs earlier this offseason, despite receiving NHL contract offers from other teams. However, he recently signed a one-year NHL deal worth $775K with the Leafs after the team's forward corps was significantly depleted due to injuries.
With Ryan Reaves returning from a five-game suspension, Nylander has now found himself as the odd man out.
Initially, there wasn't much concern regarding Nylander's play, but it now seems clear that he hasn't been able to make an impact at the NHL level so far. This sentiment was echoed by Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, who offered his assessment of the Swedish forward's performance since being called up.
As reported by David Alter on X:
#Leafs coach Craig Berube assesses Alex Nylander's play as Ryan Reaves comes back into the lineup following a 5-game suspension.
Nylander has struggled to make an impression in his four games with the Leafs, registering zero points. He has often appeared a step behind, with concerns about his foot speed.
With Reaves back in the lineup, the Leafs become a tougher team to play against. While Alex Nylander may offer offensive depth, Berube's coaching style tends to favour more defensively responsible players in the bottom six, and those who bring grit and physicality to the table. Nylander doesn't exactly fit that mold.
While Nylander will likely get another chance to play this season, for now, he will sit in the press box, awaiting his next opportunity to make a difference with the big club. If the Leafs continue to get healthy, Nylander may find himself on waivers if the team wants to free up a roster spot for someone who will play higher in the lineup, such as Max Domi or Max Pacioretty.
At any rate, Berube's comments don't give us a whole lot of confidence that Alex Nylander will be sticking around in the NHL for very long.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 4 | 2695 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Bench Boss Craig Berube Casually Dunks on Alex Nylander's Play Will Alex Nylander be placed on waivers before the new year? | ||
| Yes | 1916 | 71.1 % |
| No | 779 | 28.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
