Maple Leafs Sign Star Forward's Brother to AHL Contract

Alex Nylander, brother of Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander, is signing with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

Mar 12, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Alex Nylander (92) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, have signed forward Alex Nylander to a one-year contract, the team announced Sunday.

Of course, Nylander is the younger brother of Maple Leafs star forward William Nylander, as well as the son of longtime NHL player Michael Nylander. Should Alex get the call up to the NHL, the Nylander brothers could play together for the first time in their professional careers.

Alex, 26, was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. Unlike his brother, who went No. 8 overall to the Maple Leafs two years earlier, Alex has struggled to catch on at the NHL level.

Alex played just 19 games across three seasons in Buffalo before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019. He then had a solid 2019-20 season with 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists), but then sadly suffered a knee injury that kept him out for all of 2020-21 as he recovered from surgery.

He then continued to bounce back and forth between the NHL and AHL, until February of this year when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In just 23 games with Columbus, Alex put together possibly the best stretch of his NHL career with 15 points (11 goals, four assists). The highlight of his brief time in Columbus came against the Vegas Golden Knights on March 4, when he scored his first career hat trick in a 6-3 victory.

To see Alex sign an AHL contract after a strong stretch is a bit surprising, but the allure of possibly playing with his brother probably helped convince him. The Marlies also have a strong track record of developing NHL players, so perhaps they could help him finally become a full-time NHLer.

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