The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Alex Nylander to a minor league contract after he failed to secure an NHL deal with any other teams, and he's been playing with the Toronto Marlies so far this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs of course have Nylander's brother, William, who is one of the NHL's best players. Alex was weirdly unable to secure an NHL contract this summer, despite a very hot finish to last year's scheduled. Neverthe less, he looks to be a sure bet right now to play on the Leafs eventually.
While a high draft position doesn’t guarantee NHL success, it instead signifies the high expectations placed on a player. The debate over whether a player meets these expectations is one thing, but the talent required to secure an early draft spot is undeniable.
Alex Nylander’s career exemplifies that the journey to fulfill such potential isn’t the same for everyone.
Former Top-10 pick has revived career after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs
The 28-year-old winger has started the season strong with the Toronto Marlies, leading the team in scoring through their first eight games. While the now 28-year-old is now far removed from his 2016 eighth overall selection, recent developments in his career over the past two seasons highlight a player whose prime may finally be approaching.
Alex's career path is one of rarely seen in today's NHL. The once promising top prospect has been defined as a "journeyman" less than a decade after being drafted, belonging to five different franchises over a seven-year span. As the younger brother of Maple Leafs superstar William Nylander, Alex has become synonymous with hockey fans as the player who couldn’t quite follow in his older brother’s footsteps.
This narrative began to shift during the tail end of the 2023-24 season when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded Nylander to one of the only teams willing to take a chance on him, the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joining a young and bottoming Blue Jackets squad, the former number 8 overall pick found himself with one last chance to prove himself - and seized it.
In an expanded role, Nylander exploded, registering 11 goals and 15 points over 23 games, including a particularly impressive nine-game span where the forward recorded 8 goals and 11 points. In his season-ending stint with the Blue Jackets, he showcased the skill that led him to be drafted ahead of now-established NHL stars like Charlie McAvoy, Jordan Kyrou, and Alex DeBrincat.
Although reigniting interest league-wide as a free agent in the subsequent off-season, Alex instead opted to sign an AHL contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, turning down more lucrative contracts elsewhere to prioritize the chance to join his brother’s organization. Despite being unable to crack the Maple Leafs roster after a highly competitive training camp, Alex started the 2024-25 season in the AHL, picking up right where he left off with Columbus.
Now, 8 games into the season, the younger Nylander has recorded a team-high 5 goals to go along with 2 assists. In combination with a sustainable shooting percentage of 15.6%, Alex has evidently regained his confidence and shows no signs of slowing down. If the Maple Leafs continue to face injuries this season, fans may soon see two Nylanders suiting up together - one making an impact at a fraction of the cost.