Maple Leafs Forced to Sign New Forward After Placing Matthew Knies on Injury Reserve
With another body on the IR, this time Matthew Knies, the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Alex Nylander to an NHL contract to add forward depth.
Earlier this year, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Alex Nylander, the younger brother of superstar William Nylander to an AHL contract as a hopes of revitalizing his career.
But now after a stellar showing in the AHL, and Toronto's litany of injuries, this time landing Matthew Knies on the IR, they are calling upon Nylander to help with their ever increasing ailments.
Alex Nylander has been officially signed to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the league minimum.
It will allow Toronto to get at least some forward depth back into their lineup and it gives Nylander a chance to show he needs to stick around.
Knies has been placed on the IR retroactive to Nov. 20 when he took a nasty headshot from Vegas Golden Knights player Zach Whitecloud.
There is no word yet on where Nylander will line up as of this article but it can be assumed he will slot in on either the second or third line, and could very well play alongside his brother.
The addition of Knies to the IR is just another punch to the gut for the Maple Leafs. The following players are currently out:
Auston Matthews (IR)
Max Pacioretty (LTIR)
Max Domi (IR)
David Kampf (IR)
Matthew Knies (IR)
Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Illness)
Calle Jarnkrok (LTIR)
Ryan Reaves (Suspended)
Nylander coming into the lineup will hopefully keep Toronto's momentum rolling, as the team is 6-1-0 in their last seven, and show no signs of slowing down regardless of who goes down.
With the season he's had too, he can make a big impact. So far for the Marlies he has 12 points in 14 games, and was responsible for a lot of Toronto's success early on this season.
Nylander does have NHL experience, with 49 points in 121 games and is the record-holder for the fastest hat-trick in Columbus Blue Jackets history as well.
It will be interesting to see how Craig Berube uses Nylander in the lineup, but if there is any similarity to his brother, it won't be too hard to figure out.
Welcome back Alex!
