I couldn’t help but notice former Penguin Alexander Nylander signed a minor-league deal with the Maple Leafs top farm club, the AHL Toronto Marlies. This on the heels of an apparent late-season breakout with the Blue Jackets last spring when he popped 11 goals in just 23 games, including a hat trick, after he was acquired from the Pens.
If anything, you’d think the hot streak would’ve finally established the former first-round pick as a bona fide NHLer. To the extreme contrary, it did nothing of the sort.
If there’s a more star-crossed player than Nylander, I sure can’t think of him. Drafted eighth overall by the Sabres in 2016 following a strong season in junior, he began his pro career at the callow age of 18 and, perhaps understandably, struggled to produce.
Following three fair-to-middling seasons spent mostly with the Rochester Americans, he was traded to the Blackhawks in July 2019 for defenseman Henri Jokiharju.
Given a fresh start and a shot at full-time duty with the rebuilding Hawks, Nylander notched 10 goals and 26 points in 65 games in what was essentially his rookie season…then blew out his left knee in the playoffs.
