The Leafs signed Nylander to an NHL contract following a string of injuries at the forward position.
It's been nearly two weeks since the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Alex Nylander to an NHL contract. For the first time since the deal, the Swedish forward will be a healthy scratch when the team hosts the Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
With Ryan Reaves returning to the lineup after serving a five-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, someone had to sit out, and Nylander was the odd man out.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube evaluated Nylander's performance so far following the club's optional morning skate.
"Just okay. I mean, he's, you know, he's done some good things," Berube said of Alex. "He had some scoring opportunities early on when he was playing. He's a skilled guy that scores. Hasn't been a ton of power play time for him. You know, the first unit eats a lot of that up. And, but, you know, I'd say fair."
Nylander has gone pointless in four games, primarily playing on the fourth line and averaging 10:02 of ice time per night.
With Max Domi and Max Pacioretty back skating with the team after recovering from lower-body injuries and possibly returning soon, the Leafs will have to trim their roster to activte the veteran forwards. Rookies Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin could be sent back to the Toronto Marlies without issue, but Nylander would require waivers since he signed his NHL contract on Nov. 22 and hasn't gone through the waiver process yet.
While there’s some risk in waiving Nylander, it's believed that a claim by another club would be a longshot.
Minten has been instrumental in solidifying Toronto's center depth, while Grebenkin is quickly becoming a fan and team favorite thanks to his vibrant personality and hard-nosed style of play.
"I think he's got a real good future," Berube said of Grebenkin. "I like his grit, his determination that he plays with. Now, there's a lot to learn. He's a young guy and hasn't played a lot of pro over here, obviously. So he's learning on the way, learning on the fly. And he's strong. He's a big guy, strong on the puck. And he's just got to learn the game."
