The below is from an excellent Gare Joyce article from 2017 "Sins of the Father". Its like he predicted how the next contract might go. Same Willie, same Michael, same agent there for the next go round.
Even without the pedigree and the look, the younger Nylander would have gained attention with his play as a junior. At 16, he played a handful of games against proven pros with Sodertalje in the SEL. The year he became a full-time pro, splitting the season between Sodertalje, Modo, and Rogle, he scored 16 goals in 57 games. He had no holes in his skill set; he was elite in every facet of the offensive game. There was only one red flag, and it was one that he had no control over: his father.
In his long NHL career, Michael Nylander had crossed paths with many of the NHL executives and scouts who were evaluating his son, and Michael Nylander hadn’t made a great impression on many of them. In the opinion of one NHL scout who had played with him, “He was a talented guy but a me-first type, selfish. He wasn’t a coach killer, but he wasn’t committed to the team concept. If he gets his goals, gets his contract . . . whatever he can get out of it.”
Another who played with Michael called him “the worst teammate I ever had . . . it was always all about him.”
That Michael played for himself was a common view. Not that he was poison in the dressing room — it was just that he wasn’t what guys thought of as a good soldier, not even a soldier for hire, or a teammate first.
Some in hockey were tempted to paint William with the same brush. “Could the apple fall far from the tree?” they wondered. Some others who were ready to give William a fairer shake would admit to concerns about his father’s influence. Teams like to have a player’s complete attention and not compete with a parent or agent or anyone else who might offer a second opinion.
