@williamnylander / Instagram
Alex split the season playing games both in the AHL and NHL. He appeared in 46 games with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and scored 17 goals and 15 assists. The forward was traded from Pittsburgh to the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored a career-high 11 goals and four assists in just 23 games.
Nylander became an unrestricted free agent after Columbus chose not to qualify him in June.
Should the Maple Leafs take a flyer on the younger Nylander?
If there’s one thing Toronto has lacked throughout the last few playoffs, it’s depth scoring. This past year, against the Boston Bruins, only one player within the bottom six had a goal: David Kampf.
Depth scoring has to be addressed if they want to go deeper in the playoffs.
Toronto’s right wing consists of Nylander, Mitch Marner, Calle Jarnkrok, and Ryan Reaves. Jarnkrok only has one goal in the postseason with the Maple Leafs through 18 games, though his defensive play makes up for the lack of goal-scoring.
Reaves — although a great person to have in the room in the playoffs — hasn’t scored a postseason goal since 2018 with the Vegas Golden Knights.
That’s where Toronto could benefit from an Alex Nylander addition.
He hasn’t proven himself to be a consistent scorer in the NHL, but on a league-minimum deal — which he was on while with Pittsburgh and Columbus last season — it should be a no-brainer for Toronto.
It would be smart even if the Maple Leafs signed him at slightly below $1 million. He’d have a chance to play with his brother, William, while also getting an opportunity to chase the ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup.
It’d be a clever move for both sides, but as we get deeper into the summer, Nylander’s contract situation becomes more of a mystery.
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