Columbus Blue Jackets Forward Alexander Nylander Will Be Given Every Opporunity To Make A Name For Himself

By Dan Dukart on March 4, 2024 at 10:15 am
Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Alexander Nylander celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes
Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports
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Alexander Nylander came to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade with much to prove.

The 26-year-old has had mostly a journeyman's career, a disappointment only given his namesake - his dad and brother both eclipsed his production - and his draft slot - he was the 8th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Through four games, Nylander has looked pretty good in a third-line capacity, mostly alongside Cole Sillinger and recently Alexandre Texier. He's signed for a near-league-minimum $775k salary and is an arbitration-eligible RFA after this season. Put simply, the Blue Jackets can use the next 22 games as a tryout for the winger, and then decide what his future may be in Columbus. 

It's worth noting that the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team that moved on from him, had placed him on and through waivers twice. In a lot of ways, his career has resembled the player he was traded for: Emil Bemstrom. Both arrived in the NHL with some fanfare but were never able to convince their teams - much less the rest of the NHL - to take them all that seriously. That both players cleared waivers several times proves that.

Injuries and absences to Blue Jackets forwards like Patrik Laine, Adam Fantilli, and Kent Johnson have opened up a lineup spot for the Swede. And through four games, Nylander has done a nice job to make himself known. He's tallied 1-2-3 while averaging 15:23 of ice. Consider that in two seasons with Pittsburgh, he managed only 1-1-2 in 14 games, and that in three seasons to begin his career with the Buffalo Sabres, he combined for 3-3-6 in 19 games. His 2019-20 campaign with the Chicago Blackhawks showed real promise - 10-16-26 in 65 games - but he was never able to capitalize on his age-21 season. Small sample size, absolutely, but confidence is a helluva drug. Also worth noting is that his 15:23 average TOI in four games is well higher than his 12:24 career average by three minutes - or about 5-6 shifts/game (or 1/2 more per period). 

Playing alongside Sillinger and Texier has been a good fit for the right-shot forward. The coaching staff trusts this trio in defensive zone situations more than I anticipated, and they've shown an ability to consistently 'flip' the ice during their shift. Per NaturalStatTrick, they've started more shifts (5v5) in the defensive zone than the offensive zone, yet still have a positive shot share, GF%, xGF%, and basically any other measure of puck possession.

Here's a few thoughts from his early tape:

Nylander had some new-team good vibes on this goal, a behind-the-back/dangerous pass that was nearly intercepted by Brent Burns. Alas, it was not, and the pass found Zach Werenski, who is elite in transition. He found Sillinger off the rush, who buried the goal. Nylander may have gotten away with one here, but I like his thought process to make a high-reward pass. At the very start of the above clip, you can tell that the Blue Jackets rush options - Sillinger, Werenski, and Alexandre Texier - are all banking on/trusting that Nylander can make the 'next play'. It may have been dicey, but it worked out. 

Nylander got another admittedly lucky bounce on his first and only goal with the Blue Jackets, but he did a few things well. First, playing on the power play alongside Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Roslovic, and center Boone Jenner, he noticed that Jenner was low in the zone, and the Blue Jackets needed someone to fill in higher in the zone near the blue line. Nylander filled the space and was an easy outlet for Roslovic. He noticed Jenner and Gaudreau going to the net for the tip/screen/rebound and did the wise thing to release the puck. He got lucky to get a Hurricane's own goal/tip, but he was rewarded for two good reads.

His other assist combined the best attributes of the last clip. He again found himself high in the zone, and this time attacked downhill, showing off nice hands and anticipation off a broken play from Adam Boqvist. He immediately recognized that the Blackhawks were caught out of position and that if he quickly won the puck, he could find Sillinger for an easy goal. Very impressive anticipation.

The most negative clip I could find from Nylander was a goal against in the Blackhawks game. Somewhat ironically, it came because he made a great read to - again - be a defensively responsible outlet pass. The process was good, but the result was poor. He recognized that Werenski was going to provide a bank pass to the weakside, which was good. But he didn't do himself any favors by having his toes pointed at the back wall, and his back facing the 195 feet behind him (freeze at 0:06 for a good frame). This positioning prevented him from having a positive first touch, and when he fumbled the puck, Connor Bedard initiated contact and forced a dangerous turnover. Seconds later, the puck was in the back of the Blue Jackets net. 

I'm not optimistic that Nylander is a member of this team next season, but it's nothing personal. There's just a pletora of young and established players, and he doesn't have a signature skill that would justify a spot in the bottom-six. On the other hand, he was a high draft pick for a reason, and it's possible that the Blue Jackets are able to unlock his potential. If nothing else, these next 22 games provide a no-downside look at the player.

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