After the run he had with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the end of the 2023-24 regular season, it was surprising to see Alex Nylander remain unsigned until the final week of July — and it was flat-out shocking to see him only sign an AHL contract.
Frankly, it was a bit of a shock that the Blue Jackets moved on from Nylander in the first place. After all, they had the ability to tender the 26-year-old winger a qualifying offer to retain his exclusive negotiating rights this summer.
But the QO deadline came and went on June 30 without Nylander being courted by the Blue Jackets, the team with which he scored a career-high 11 goals in just 23 games to conclude the 2023-24 campaign. And even after Nylander hit the market on Canada Day, the offers seemingly never materialized for him.
It’s hardly a secret that Nylander has struggled to live up to his billing as a former No. 8 overall pick, especially as his older brother has piled up the points with the Maple Leafs over the last nine seasons. William Nylander scored 40 goals and 98 points in 82 games in 2023-24; Alex Nylander has just 25 goals and 49 points in his entire NHL career to date. But sometimes, all a player needs to take that next step is an opportunity. It looked like the younger Nylander finally got his in Columbus last year, but it ended up being short-lived. Now, it’s up to him to force the Leafs to reunite him with his brother this coming season.
Alex Nylander picked up his first career hat trick last night against the defending Stanley Cup champions! Tonight, he faces his former team in Pittsburgh. @DylanTyrer previews our matchup against the Penguins in CBJ Today, presented by @OhioHealth. pic.twitter.com/WGnQDfgwtz
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 5, 2024
Nylander has already more than proven himself to be a terrific player at the AHL level. Over his three seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Calgary-born Swede collected 56 goals and 112 points in 142 games. But the Penguins never found a permanent spot for Nylander in their NHL lineup and ended up flipping him and a sixth-round pick to the Blue Jackets on February 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom.
For as long as he plays with the Marlies in 2024-25, Nylander is practically assured to be one of their top players. We’ve seen plenty of former top prospects attempt to revive their careers at Coca-Cola Coliseum over the last few seasons, from Kieffer Bellows to Josh Ho-Sang to Alex Galchenyuk, but Nylander is less of a reclamation project and more of a player primed to break down the door for a true NHL opportunity.
There’s just one problem: Nylander technically isn’t eligible to play for the Leafs as long as he’s on his current contract. It is an AHL deal, after all — it’s for the AHL only. There’s a solid chance Nylander will earn a comfortable six-figure salary for the time he spends with the Toronto Marlies this season, but he won’t be able to play for the Leafs unless the current circumstances change.
The Leafs currently have 44 players on NHL contracts for the 2024-25 season. That figure does not include RFAs Nick Robertson and Alex Steeves, nor does it account for would-be UFA signing Jani Hakanpaa, whose status is currently ‘a big question mark.’ Even with those players signed, the Leafs have a bit of breathing room, but not much — especially if they plan on being buyers at this year’s trade deadline.
Now, as TheLeafsNation‘s own Alex Hobson opined on Tuesday, the Nylander signing could play a small role in determining what exactly happens with Robertson, who has reportedly asked for a trade and, as mentioned, remains an RFA. It’s easy to envision the Leafs feeling comfortable replacing Robertson with a bigger, more experienced winger who shoots right and scored just three fewer goals in 33 fewer games last season.
But how could that work if Nylander is on an AHL deal? Well, for starters, the Leafs still have the ability to invite Nylander to their training camp on a professional tryout, which is common practice for veteran players on AHL contracts. It would allow the Leafs to assess Nylander’s strengths and weaknesses as a player while also potentially evaluating whether he has any chemistry with his brother.
On top of that, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Leafs have the ability to sign Nylander to an NHL contract at any time before the 2025 trade deadline. As long as they get him signed before that point, he’d be eligible to play for them down the stretch and into the playoffs. If Nylander starts the season with the Marlies and puts up star-calibre production, the Leafs would absolutely be able to lock him down and bring him up.
However, there’s also nothing to say any of the other 31 teams couldn’t poach Nylander away from the Marlies — after all, he’s not tied to the Leafs just because he’s with their AHL club. He’d have to agree to sign with any of them, and it’s difficult to say whether he’d have any interest in leaving Toronto, but the option is always there as long as he remains on an AHL contract.
If all goes well, the Leafs can use Nylander’s AHL deal as a trial run to see whether he still has the scoring ability that made him an AHL All-Star in 2023 and drew the Blue Jackets to him last season. It’s undoubtedly appealing to imagine the two Nylanders playing together with the Leafs for years to come. For now, it’s only a dream, but there’s a chance it could become a reality.
