Alex Nylander's time with the Leafs comes to an end

Fresh off the best season of his professional career, Alex Nylander is moving on from the organization where he finally found some stability. The younger brother of Maple Leafs star William Nylander spent the last two years in Toronto's system, but his next chapter will take him out west to a team that might actually be able to offer him something the Leafs couldn't: a legitimate shot at NHL ice time.

According to PuckPedia, the Calgary Flames are bringing the 28-year-old forward into their organization on a professional tryout agreement ahead of the 2026-27 season. It marks the sixth NHL franchise Nylander has been associated with since Buffalo selected him eighth overall in the 2016 draft, the same draft slot his brother William went in a year earlier.

A Calder Cup Champion Looking for His Next Opportunity

Nylander's time with the Leafs organization was productive, even if it didn't translate into much NHL action. During the 2025-26 campaign, he posted career-best numbers with 24 goals and 53 points in 65 regular season games with the Toronto Marlies, surpassing his previous high of 50 points set during his time with the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. More importantly, he was a key contributor in the Marlies' Calder Cup championship run, tallying six goals and seven points across 24 playoff contests. That included a series-clinching overtime goal against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the Eastern Conference Final.

Despite those impressive AHL numbers, Nylander's NHL resume remains frustratingly thin. He last appeared in the big league during the 2024-25 season, when the Leafs gave him a brief five-game recall that ended in December against Pittsburgh. He went pointless in those appearances. Across 126 career NHL games spread over parts of seven seasons with the Sabres, Blackhawks, Penguins, Blue Jackets, and Leafs, he has just 25 goals and 49 points to show. His most productive NHL stretch came back in 2019-20 with Chicago, where he notched 10 goals and 26 points in 65 games before a knee injury during the bubble playoffs derailed his momentum.

Interestingly, Nylander reportedly turned down NHL offers from other teams in the summer of 2024, choosing instead to stay in the Leafs' system on an AHL deal. Former Leafs head coach Craig Berube spoke warmly about the brothers playing in the same organization, calling it "a special thing" to see them on the ice together. But with Toronto loading up to compete in the Atlantic Division, there simply wasn't room for Alex to crack the roster.

Can Calgary Give Him What Toronto Couldn't?

The Flames present a very different situation than the one Nylander left behind. Calgary finished the 2025-26 season with a 34-39-9 record and just 77 points, good for seventh in the Pacific Division and well outside the playoff picture. Matt Coronato led the team in scoring with a modest 45 points, while Morgan Frost topped the goal column with 22. That kind of forward group uncertainty could be exactly what Nylander needs to finally earn consistent NHL playing time.

Nylander has quietly built himself into one of the more reliable AHL producers over the past eight seasons, accumulating 307 points in 459 games and ranking within the top 30 among active players in AHL scoring since 2016. The question has always been whether he can translate that success to the NHL level on a sustained basis. His 23-game stint with Columbus near the end of 2023-24, where he scored 11 goals and 15 points, suggested he can produce when given a real opportunity, but the Blue Jackets chose not to bring him back.

Calgary's preseason kicks off on September 20 against Seattle at the Saddledome. Under the NHL's updated exhibition rules, the Flames can only dress veterans with 50 or more NHL games from last season in two of their four preseason matchups, which could actually work in Nylander's favor by giving him more opportunities to showcase his game. For a Calder Cup champion with something to prove, this PTO might be the fresh start he's been waiting for.