Toronto Maple Leafs May Be Forced to Lose Newly Signed Alexander Nylander on NHL Waivers
After signing Alex Nylander to a one-year deal to help with their injury woes, the Maple Leafs could end up losing him for nothing once the team is back to full health.
It's been a nightmare season so far for the Maple Leafs in terms of injuries. While the team has been successful, going 11-5-2 and showing everyone they can do it with or without some of their top stars.
The Maple Leafs currently have six players on the IR or LTIR, meanwhile Ryan Reaves is suspended, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson is dealing with an illness.
The names who have come in to help Toronto throughout their injury crisis include:
- Nikita Grebenkin
- Phillippe Myers
But their newest signing has a lot more hype surrounding him, considering he's the younger brother of Toronto's Swedish superstar William Nylander.
Welcome To Toronto Alex Nylander
It was announced by the club on Thursday that the team has signed forward Alex Nylander to a NHL contract, allowing him to officially be a member of the Leafs.
They can use him too, as Nylander has been a stud so far this season for the Toronto Marlies with 8 goals and 12 points in 14 games.
A lot of it is due to goals like this overtime snipe to beat the Rochester Americans on Nov. 17:
Or this one on the powerplay, where Nylander faked a pass to the point before quickly adjusting and scoring top shelf:
It's these types of goals that has fans excited about the prospect of what Nylander can bring to the team:
It didn't take long either for Nylander to take the ice, seen in his first practice with the Maple Leafs on Friday, as initially reported by David Alter on X:
Toronto desperately needs a player like Nylander. They don't have much production from their bottom six in the first place, and all of these injuries don't help either.
A combined 6 goals between the bottom two lines is a brutal bit of evidence that Toronto needs an injection of offense.
The only person of note is Max Domi who, is also injured and only has six points all season, and was not playing near worth what he's getting paid.
For his career, Nylander has 49 points in 121 NHL games, including 11 goals in 23 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, adding a hat-trick in there for good measure.
He's also played for 4 different NHL teams in 6 years so he hasn't been able to lock down a spot just yet and Toronto could be his new home.
However there is one caveat to this whole situation:
Since Nylander has been signed, and with his NHL experience being over 80 games played, he needs to pass through waivers first to go back to the Marlies when and if Toronto can get back to full health.
Alex Nylander May Not Stay A Toronto Maple Leaf
It's not like Toronto is bringing up a rookie, and Nylander has more than enough experience to hang in the NHL.
For what it's worth, Nylander himself is motivated too. Speaking in the summer about the chance to play again in the NHL, Nylander bet on himself and won:
But for how determined he is, the NHL might not allow him the opportunity. While many think it's due to his one-way contract status, it's due to his previous NHL experience and age.
This chart is how the NHL exempts players from waivers, and the rules also state that since Nylander is over the age of 24, he would need to clear waivers first and doesn't just get to go back.
It's a bit of a frustrating addition to a great story, as Alex could get a chance to play alongside his brother, something both men have dreamed of:
FAQ: Toronto Maple Leafs Could Lose Alex Nylander To Waivers
Q1: Why are the Toronto Maple Leafs at risk of losing Alex Nylander?
A1: The Toronto Maple Leafs could lose Alex Nylander to waivers due to his age, and how the NHL designates waiver assignments. It does not have anything to do with what contract he signed, but it focus on age, and experience as opposed to contract type.
Q2: Will Alex Nylander help the Toronto Maple Leafs?
A2: Yes, he should bring an offensive spark that Toronto has sorely lacked. His 8 goals on the Marlies included several highlight reel snipes, and his emergence as a scoring threat has led to his call-up.
He will also help as the team deals with the mounting injuries, and will need to be a key contributor in order to stick around.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs had their way, they would send Alex Nylander down with no possible chance he gets claimed off waivers, but that's not how the NHL works.
His scoring ability and the chance to play with his brother is exciting, but it might not last as long as he wants.
