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What's going on with Alex Nylander?

PPG AHL prospects at 18 or 19 are the exception, not the norm. Especially on bad teams. 1 guy on that team had more than 42 points. This is the same logic that made people think Kapanen had a bad season in 2015/16 which wasn't true.

Would you like you top 10 pick to have a better PPG than 0.43? Sure, you'd hope for around 0.5-0.6, but 0.43 isn't bad. If he's still at that next year then there's cause for concern, but you shouldn't expect PPG until they're 20, even for a top 10 pick.
 
TheBeastCoast said:
Hair loss is generally a gene passed through the mothers side. So in theory Micheal Nylander being bald doesn't mean they will be bald.
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:cry::cry::cry::cry:
 
TOGuy14 said:
1. He played in the AHL as an 18 year old, that is very young

2. He came from playing in the CHL, he doesn't have the same experience against the older stronger players that his brother did playing in SWE, needs to adjust

3. His flow just can't compete with Willy baby. He needs to work on that head lettuce if he really wants to succeed at the next level

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um that flow has less of a chance of making it to 30 than a dog does.
 
Anyway hair aside, Alex played a few NHL games at the end of the season and looked better than he did in the AHL which is a less predictable game played with less talented teammates. That said, I don't think he'll be as good as William, who was ranked higher in his draft year but dropped for whatever reasons. But Alex will be fine, a good top 6 forward in time.
 
I'd think that maybe this would lead to teams taking a cautious approach to promoting 18-year-olds to the AHL unless they have dominated the previous level. Nylander was good in the OHL but wasn't a top 5 player in the league (Marner, Strome, Dvorak, LaBanc, Tkachuk) and didn't possess overwhelming physical tools that made him above that level. I'd think another year in Mississauga (although that was untenable due to the relationship between Michael and the Steelheads).

I'm not really sure how much the argument of rushing guys into pro from junior really benefits them. I don't think it has really accelerated the development of Honka, A. Nylander, and Goldobin. It also seems like Rochester was a terrible developmental fit for him.

As for comparing him to his brother, I'd say they are fairly different players and have always stated as much. William is stronger on his skates (both speed and strength wise) and is more puck dominant. Alex is stronger at reading the game away from the puck at the same age but is not as naturally gifted. Alex does have the same ridiculous release on his shot though and is great at finding holes that a playmaking center can exploit with him. Obviously, Buffalo thinks that's Eichel, but I'd actually be more interested in how he fits with Reinhart if they ever move him back to center.
 
I actually think his AHL stats are pretty good. Nearly .5 PPG in the AHL at the age of 18 on a fairly defensive team. It is not easy to play in the AHL at that age. In some ways, it's harder on younger kids, because the play is much less fluid. Your linemates don't take or make passes as cleanly, which means you need to go to the boards and battle a lot, and there's a lot of stop and go type action. At the NHL level, passing and plays are so much cleaner. If you're skilled enough, it's actually easier than the AHL.
 
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France Nielsen said:
I actually think his AHL stats are pretty good. Nearly .5 PPG in the AHL at the age of 18 on a fairly defensive team. It is not easy to play in the AHL at that age. In some ways, it's harder on younger kids, because the play is much less fluid. Your linemates don't take or make passes as cleanly, which means you need to go to the boards and battle a lot, and there's a lot of stop and go type action. At the NHL level, passing and plays are so much cleaner. If you're skilled enough, it's actually easier than the AHL.
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Mike Hoffman had 25 pts in 74 games as a 21yr old AHL rookie... made the NHL 2.5 years later and put up three consecutive seasons of 27, 29, 26 goals and 48, 55, 61 pts. He was three years or so older than Alex when he started at the AHL level. Give Nylander 2 or so more AHL seasons and I think he will be almost over-ripe (as Hoffman was) when he finally gets a full rookie season.
 
If he is being compared to what Nylander did at 18, its looks bad.
Alex will be fine. I wouldnt be surprised if he gets 50+ pts next year
 
ScaredStreit said:
He just turned 19 a little over a month ago...have we really become this impatient?
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Seems that way.

It can't be stated enough just how terrible Rochester was. He made progress and one hopes the adversity he experienced this year helps mold him going forward.
 
Bloomfield said:
Played superb in the wjc, but his ahl stats is alarming. I thought he played better then william did at wjc, but much worse then william in ahl.
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Well, you will have to consider Alex playing for an awful AHL team, the team had a poor year.

Alex has been looking absolutely fantastic and amazing, only execption is his time in Rochester which is difficult drawing conclusions from. Perhaps SEL or another year in the juniors would have been much better for Alex.

If any of you doubt about Alex talent then watch and do some searching on youtube, I strongly recommend it. The guy is oozing of self confidence, skilled and scoring some ridiculous goals, he also have a fantastic slapshot with scary good one timers and perhaps the most talented penalty shooter I have seen.

I find it funny that his talent even is questioned, he is unbelievable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mj-DEqm9cE

He is a little bit stronger and bigger than William the same age which is very intreresting but in the same way I believe William had a fantastic developement the last 12-15 months including working very hard in the off-season. Working with one of the best coaches in the games probably helps William too (Babcock).

Personally I wouldn't be surprised with Alex turning out even better than William but it also has a lot do with Rochester and the Sabres the next seasons.

If I was the manager for Sabres I would do everything in my power to give him best possible support and development, incredible talent, a sniper. I am hoping the guy have a good work ethic, working hard during off season etc because I would hate his truly amazing talent being wasted. This last factor is important but very difficult to know and tell, I don't know how is as a person, I do know he is increadibly talented.

William is giving me the impression of being a bit more humble human being and a possibly better team player but Alexander's pure raw talent is unmatched. Alex is a guy possible of totally humliating is opponents and I laugh when I some of his goals and celebrations, he is one cocky dude perhaps with too much self confidence. ;-)

Cool video from Rochester, very good production and interview, impressive. :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yty0nWIKqI
 
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It's not just about Rochester being terrible, but also about the horrible playstyle mismatch.

Mentally, he looks ready to contribute in an NHL top 9. Not worried.
 
Funny that this thread has more Leafs fans than Sabres fans commenting on the development of a Sabres prospect.

I think the Sabres fans would be in a better position to opine about Alex. Alex will be fine. He was never going to light the world on fire as an 18 year old. Let him gain some size and experience, and he'll be a vey good player. Especially now that Buffalo has a GM that wants to particularly focus on the development of young players.
 
He definitely shouldn't have been in the AHL last season. This isn't in hindsight but something I said at the time.

Not sure what was the rush to get him in the AHL. They should have sent him back as soon as they saw the Americans were one of the worst teams in the AHL.

With that said, I'm sure he'll be fine.
 
SprDaVE said:
He definitely shouldn't have been in the AHL last season. This isn't in hindsight but something I said at the time.

Not sure what was the rush to get him in the AHL. They should have sent him back as soon as they saw the Americans were one of the worst teams in the AHL.

With that said, I'm sure he'll be fine.
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He could't have gone back to juniors. He wasn't a CHL player - he was a player on loan to the CHL from his Swedish team.

The choices were AHL or back to Sweden, and the Sabres opted to keep him in North America.
 
TheBeastCoast said:
Hair loss is generally a gene passed through the mothers side. So in theory Micheal Nylander being bald doesn't mean they will be bald.
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Nothing is set in stone. They may or may not go bald.

"The hereditary factor is slightly more dominant on the woman's side, but research suggests that men who have a bald father are more likely to develop male pattern baldness than those who don't."

http://health.usnews.com/health-new.../what-causes-hair-loss-9-myths-about-baldness

(Lol that the thread is turning into a hair thread).

Does William gey his eyebrows done?
 
Maitz said:
My question may sound stupid but why was he eligible for the AHL this year? He played for a CHL team right ? Isn't he supposed to stay with his CHL until 20 years old?
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A real stupid rule which some teams are using to their advantage.
Nylander is deemed European,,,because his parents are Swedish. Despite the fact he was born in North American and spent most of childhood in North American.

So his junior rights are "loaned" to a Swedish team. Then the Swedish team can "loan" him to the AHL. If he fails to make the AHL, he loaned back to Sweden, the SHL, not to his Canadian junior team.
 
93LEAFS said:
I'd think that maybe this would lead to teams taking a cautious approach to promoting 18-year-olds to the AHL unless they have dominated the previous level. Nylander was good in the OHL but wasn't a top 5 player in the league (Marner, Strome, Dvorak, LaBanc, Tkachuk) and didn't possess overwhelming physical tools that made him above that level. I'd think another year in Mississauga (although that was untenable due to the relationship between Michael and the Steelheads).

I'm not really sure how much the argument of rushing guys into pro from junior really benefits them. I don't think it has really accelerated the development of Honka, A. Nylander, and Goldobin. It also seems like Rochester was a terrible developmental fit for him.
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Yup. The number of players who are "too good" for the CHL are very, very few. It's absolutely not a bad idea to stay another year in junior. Even if you don't improve your hockey skills a lot during that time, just having that extra year of maturity both mentally and physically can help a lot with the transition to the pro's. And it's never a bad thing to work on your 200ft game, taking on more of a leadership role on your team etc. I don't know if there's ever been a player that's actually been harmed from staying an extra year in juniors vs. rushing to the pro's.
 
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