After an offseason that started sizzling hot before quieting down almost as quickly, the Toronto Maple Leafs woke their fanbase up with a minor transaction involving a household name. On Sunday, the Leafs announced the signing of Alex Nylander, brother of William, to a one-year AHL contract. Although the junior Nylander hasn’t had the easiest time establishing himself as an NHLer in his young career, the fact that he either couldn’t land an NHL deal at league minimum or chose to forgo that opportunity to join the Leafs is a tad surprising. While the idea of adding him has always been a fun one for fans to float, it was never really a real possibility until this summer.
A former eighth-overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres, Alex Nylander has played NHL games here and there going as far back as 2016-17. His career high in games came back in 2019-20, when he appeared in 65 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring ten goals and tallying 26 points in those games. He found himself with Kyle Dubas’ Pittsburgh Penguins last season, and while he shined in the AHL with 30 points in 44 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he didn’t get much of an opportunity with the Penguins and eventually found himself in a new uniform for the fourth time in his career; this time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The sample size here was as short as any of them, but with 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games for the Jackets, he left a level of intrigue that he hasn’t had going into an offseason in a while.
And clearly, it worked. His little burst of finding twine last year caught the attention of Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, and he ended up with a new contract. While, yes, it’s an AHL deal, it doesn’t mean there’s no opportunity for him to contribute in the NHL. If nothing else, he’ll get an opportunity to crack the lineup in training camp on a team whose top 12 forwards aren’t necessarily set in stone. If he doesn’t immediately make the team, he can be sent to the AHL without requiring waivers, and fill the role left by Kieffer Bellows, another former 2016 first-round pick who hasn’t had the most decorated NHL career to date but provided the Marlies with a veteran offensive presence up front. From there, who knows what the season could hold. Injuries will happen, as will underperformers with the big club and overperformers in the farm system, and if Nylander impresses in the AHL, maybe an opportunity opens up for him to skate with his older brother.
What specifically makes this case interesting is the situation involving Nick Robertson that the Leafs are currently dealing with. A month ago to this day, Robertson, who’s a restricted free agent, reportedly informed the team that he was not interested in re-signing in Toronto and would like to be traded. It comes after Robertson played more NHL games in a single season than he had in his career in 2023-24, skating in 56 games and scoring 14 goals en route to 27 points. While he managed to stay healthy all year, which is something he hadn’t achieved since he was playing junior hockey, he battled consistency issues and never fully earned the trust of former head coach Sheldon Keefe.
While Robertson did reportedly ask for a trade, the Leafs don’t have to honour that request. In fact, Treliving seemed to hint that management wanted to get another look at the 2019 second-round pick this season. Perhaps playing for a new coach with a clean slate could unlock some of the potential that he’s boasted early on in his career. The arbitration window goes until August 4, so there will be some more clarity on Robertson’s future after that, but if things don’t work out between him and the Leafs, Nylander specifically could be the one to fill his void in the lineup.
To be clear, I don’t see a world where they signed Nylander, called Robertson and said “Hey, let us know when you figure out what you want to do, if you want to be traded we’ve got your replacement lined up.”. However, I do see a world where Treliving and Leafs management went through that process mentally when bringing in the former. Both players are strong offensively with not much to give defensively, and while I believe the Leafs would prefer to fill that spot with the younger player who has more miles with the organization, the younger Nylander would be a very intriguing player to consider for that role.
The Leafs opted to spread out their offence last season, skating Matthews, Marner, and Nylander on separate lines at times, and this sort of roster formation could benefit both Nylanders. The brothers work out together over the offseason and have skated together whenever they’ve been on the same team in the past. Obviously, his 11 goals in 23 games was a torrid pace that shouldn’t be expected to keep up over a full 82, but the top-9 upside is there, and the opportunity to get to skate alongside his brother could help unlock that upside.
That’s a bridge to be crossed in the future, though. Right now, the signing of Nylander is just a fun story to follow along with in training camp and preseason, and if things don’t work out with Robertson in the long run, they’ve got a similar type of player who could compete for that spot and also happens to have family ties to the organization.
