Alex Nylander joins brother William in Toronto - with the Marlies

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Unlike William Nylander’s run of success in Toronto and his father Michael’s NHL pedigree, brother Alex has struggled to find his way after being an NHL first-round pick. 

Perhaps being in the same city as his older sibling will help, as left winger Alex signed a one-year AHL deal with the farm team Marlies on Sunday. Alex was chosen eighth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, the same spot as William two years before by the Maple Leafs and seven picks after Auston Matthews was first overall. Now 26, the younger Nylander was coming off a 75-point year with the OHL Mississauga Steelheads when selected between Clayton Keller (Arizona) and Mikhail Sergachev (Montreal).  

But Alex only played 19 games in total for the Sabres, before a trade to Chicago in 2019-20 where he played a career-high 65 games that COVID-shortened season. But he tore his left knee in that campaign and it wasn‘t until three years later he made it out of the AHL again, as property of Pittsburgh, playing 14 games over two seasons, prior to a productive finish with the Columbus Blue Jackets, 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games.        

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Alex has appeared in 330 career AHL games, with 94 goals and 116 assists through six seasons. Internationally, he represented Sweden at the 2018 IIHF world junior championships and J.D. Forrest, who coached Pittsburgh’s farm team at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, described Alex to the local Tribune-Review as having “loads of talent, offensively gifted (but) just kind of needs to round out his game. He can certainly do some things not everyone can.” 

Many were shocked Alex didn’t get a qualifying offer from new Jackets’ general manager Don Waddell after his strong spring, three multi-goal games, including a hat trick, the fastest in club history. 

While there’s no sure pathway back to the NHL through the Marlies, the team has often taken advantage of veterans wishing to restart their careers in the Leaf orbit. Last year, another former 2016 first round pick, Kieffer Bellows, signed with the Marlies, came close to 30 goals and earned a two-way deal with Nashville this season. 

Alex will likely be practising with the Leafs veteran and prospects in Toronto in the coming weeks.  

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby