Minas Panagiotakis

Fantasy Summary

A very talented player who struggles with consistency that has led to his prolonged development, Nylander has the skillset of a potential top-six NHL winger.


Observations

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March 2024 – Nylander was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. He moves to a team full of fantasy relevant wingers attempting to break in to the NHL. He is currently scoring goals at the NHL level for the Blue Jackets and that may give him an inside track going forward. Pat Quinn

 

June 2023 – Nylander was one of the bright spots on the struggling Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins in the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old finished with 50 points in 55 games in 2022- 23. Nylander is a highly skilled winger who has struggled with pace in the past. After bouncing around teams as a young prospect Nylander seems to have settled in Pittsburgh’s system. With the new management group looking to get younger to keep the Stanley Cup window open Nylander will most likely challenge for a roster spot. The Penguins’ new President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas also has a history with Alex’s brother William. Heading into 2023-24 if Nylander is able to secure a roster spot he will likely see time in the Penguins’ top six as he fits best on scoring lines as opposed to depth lines. He is a player to look to target in fantasy leagues if he is available as a depth piece. Tyler Ball

 

July 2022 – Nylander has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Penguins worth $750, 000 at the NHL level. Kyle Watson

 

June 2022 – The 24-year-old took serious steps forward in Wilkes-Barre after being acquired from the Blackhawks in January. Knee surgery kept him out of the entire 2020-21 campaign, but he has scored at a career-high pace of 0.68 points-per-game in 44 games in 2022 so far. There are still a lot of wrinkles to iron out in his game – he is not an effective defensive player by any means – but the talent that saw him picked eighth overall in 2016 is still present in flashes. He is a supreme puck handler who is effective in transition and possesses an NHL-calibre shot and playmaking ability. If the Penguins can reignite his passion for the game and show him a clear route to a middle-six role, it is not out of the question that he becomes an NHLer. Considering the amount of pending free agents the Penguins have, they may have an incentive to get Nylander in the NHL ASAP. Kyle Watson

 

2021- Nylander had successful surgery on his left knee. There is video and photos of him rehabbing which is a very positive sign. Do not expect to see him play this season. Tony Carr

December 2020- Nylander had surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss four to six months while rehabbing. This stems from an injury suffered during the 2020 NHL playoffs.  Tony Carr

March 2020 – Nylander is fast, has a great shot, makes good plays in the offensive end, and can carry the puck through the neutral zone. He has skills that can not be taught but he does not play the best defence . He can take plays, shifts, and periods off. There is a total Jekyll/Hyde aspect to his game. One incredibly positive thing to note in his game is that he seems to find chemistry with whomever he plays with. He looked just as good playing with Toews and Saad as he did playing with Highmore and Kampf. Tony Carr

 

October 2019- Nylander has been given/earned a spot in the top-six playing alongside Toews. It has been an uneven start to the season for the former eighth-overall pick in 2016. He has shown flashes of top-end talent along with periods of, shall we say, disinterest. This will need to change if he wants to remain in the NHL playing with offensively talented linemates. His skill level will afford him every opportunity to continue playing at this level. Tony Carr

 

July 2019 – Nylander has been traded from Buffalo to Chicago in exchange for Henri Jokiharju.  Jokke Nevalainen

 

March 2019 – Alexander Nylander’s time has finally come, or at least his time for his NHL season debut. In his third year of AHL hockey, Nylander hasn’t exactly exploded off the stat sheet or made noticeable improvements to his game after a 49 game stint in the AHL, notching 12 goals and 31 points in 49 games with the AHL powerhouse Rochester Americans. Just before being called up, Nylander put together an impressive scoring spree of three games in a row which may have just been enough to warrant the opportunity. Marcus Griep

 

April 2018 – After missing a small chunk of games at the beginning of the season, Nylander had another lacklustre season notching 27 points in 51 games, scoring eight goals. Not to worry though, Nylander will only get better as he hones his skill. The highlight of Nylander’s season came late in the year when he scored his first NHL goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on one of his 3 NHL games near the end of the season. He tipped a heavy shot from the point using some of his very good hand eye coordination. Next year, Nylander hopes to break out of the AHL and play in the NHL full time with Buffalo. Marcus Griep

 

December 2017 – Nylander’s season got off to a late start missing the first couple of months of the season with a lower body injury. While his stat line may be uninspiring with just two goals and four assists in 16 games, he’ll still just 19 and is only among a handful of teenagers playing in the AHL. There may also be some lingering effects of the injury, whatever it was, so don’t get too down with the perceived lack of production. He was recently loaned to team Sweden for the World Junior Championships, a no-brainer move since it’s being held in his future home and, between him and Mittelstadt, it will give Sabres fans something to cheer about which has been a rare occurrence this year. Having already dominated on the scoresheet at this tournament as a 17 and 18 year-old, the sky is the limit in his third go-round. Brad Phillips

 

April 2017 – Although Alex made his NHL debut at the end of the season and impressed many, strength is in need of improvement. As General Manager Tim Murray discussed during his end of season conference, Nylander has the speed and skill to succeed in the NHL. His hands are quick and flutters perfect saucer passes effortlessly, but his strength on and off the puck needs to be developed more. Max Marko

January 2016 –  Alex thrived at the 2017 World Junior Championship with Team Sweden. He finished tied for the lead in points with 12 alongside Minnesota Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov. Nylander brought speed and offensive talent to Team Sweden and stood up for himself better compared to last year, which was brought on by year in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. Max Marko

July 2016 – Alex Nylander has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. The contract is worth $5.325M in total, which ends up being $1.775M cap hit with performance bonuses, $975K without. Paul Zwambag

June 2016 – As the hosts of the 2016 NHL entry draft, the Sabres waited until their eighth overall selection, then wasted no time naming the young playmaking winger. Buffalo fans can expect more of the same high-end talent from the same genes that make his brother William so talented and provide Maple Leaf fans with much hope. Mark Allan

February 2016 – Hockey bloodlines run deep in this year’s OHL draft class and Nylander is a familiar name. Brother of William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Alex is a similarly skilled offensive winger. He has fast hands, quick feet and a great shot. While slightly undersized by pro standards, he has begun showing signs of engaging in the physical side of the game but still needs to add some weight and strength. As he continues to develop physically and adjust to the North American game, expect his dynamic offensive skill set to continue to breakthrough and for Nylander to dominate the OHL. Peter Harling

February 2016 – The entire hype heading into the World Junior for Sweden was around his brother William of the Toronto Maple Leafs. But when William went down in the first game, it was Alex who rose to the occasion and helped carry the offensive load scoring nine points in seven games. Nylander may be the most highly skilled player in the entire draft, let alone from the OHL. Peter Harling

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 7.0
NHL Certainty 8.5
Country SWE
Position LW
Roster Type NHL
Shoot/Glove Right
Date of Birth March 2, 1998
Height 6‘1”
Weight 192 lbs
Drafted 2016 Round 1; Overall: 8

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2012-2013 Stockholm NordTV-Pucken8 1 12 0|        
  SDE HF U16U16 Div.123 8 1119 8|        
 2013-2014 Stockholm NordTV-Pucken5 0 22 4|        
  SDE HF U16U16 Div.15 3 69 0|        
  SDE HF J18J18 Region21 9 2736 2|        
  Södertälje SK J18J18 Nationell17 12 1022 6|        
  Sweden U16 (all)International-Jr3 1 12 0|        
 2014-2015 AIK J18J18 Region2 0 22 0|        
  AIK J18J18 Nationell5 2 1113 2|Playoffs2 0 00
  AIK J20J20 Nationell42 15 2540 12|Playoffs2 0 11
  AIKHockeyAllsvenskan3 0 00 0|Kvalserien AS4 1 12
  Sweden U17WHC-176 2 57 0|        
  Sweden U17 (all)International-Jr17 4 610 0|        
 2015-2016 Brampton SteelheadsOHL57 28 4775 18|Playoffs6 6 612
  Sweden U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup5 2 46 6|        
  Sweden U18WJC-187 3 811 0|        
  Sweden U18 (all)International-Jr12 5 1217 6|        
  Sweden U20WJC-207 4 59 0|        
  Sweden U20 (all)International-Jr10 6 713 2|        
 2016-2017 Buffalo SabresNHL4 0 11 0|        
  Rochester AmericansAHL65 10 1828 6|        
  Sweden U20WJC-207 5 712 0|        
  Sweden U20 (all)International-Jr8 5 914 0|        
 2017-2018 Buffalo SabresNHL3 1 01 0|        
  Rochester AmericansAHL51 8 1927 10|Playoffs3 0 00
  Sweden U20WJC-207 1 67 2|        
  Sweden U20 (all)International-Jr7 1 67 2|        
 2018-2019 Buffalo SabresNHL12 2 24 4|        
  Rochester AmericansAHL49 12 1931 12|        
 2019-2020 Chicago BlackhawksNHL65 10 1626 10|Playoffs8 0 00
 2020-2021 Chicago BlackhawksNHL0 0 00 0|        
 2021-2022 Rockford IceHogsAHL23 8 412 2|        
  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL44 14 1630 8|Playoffs6 3 36
 2022-2023 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL9 1 12 6|        
  Sweden EHT3 2 02 0|        
  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL55 25 2550 8|        
  SwedenWC8 0 22 2|        
  Sweden (all)International12 3 25 2|        
 2023-2024 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL5 0 00 0|        
  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL43 17 1532 6|        
  Columbus Blue JacketsNHL23 11 415 6|        
 2024-2025 Toronto MarliesAHL1 0 11 0|        

Highlights