Prospect Info: Alex Nylander (2016, 8th) – '17-18: Rochester #92 (AHL)

[Icicle]

The difference between a skilled floater and a disinterested floater is one that isn't known for high effort back checks in-between.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Why?

Because you can't tell what a players interest level is. Nor if they are lazy. So if you say that, there is a big degree of ignorance 99% of things.

People calling vanek lazy use to drive me crazy. Like someone can make it to the NHL and put up 700 points while being lazy.

 

[truthbluth]

"Disinterested" is probably not the right word, as it has some projection on his psychology, but, he doesn't engage with the play when he doesn't have the puck. While that theoretically could be due to a, "disinterest," in the outcome of the game, it would be a pretty wild speculation without much convincing evidence. For whatever reason though, he does not play well without the puck. Can it be coached? I don't know. How much of a jump he makes this year should give us a pretty good indication.

Also, this is not a new take on Alex, so it would be great if people could stop acting like anybody has any agenda against him. It was in just about every pre-draft scouting report.

The Hockey Writers "At times he can seem more like he’s waiting for his team to get the puck back than pursuing it with any real conviction."

LWOS "Nylander also has to work on being more conscientious on the back check and not cheat to create offensive chances. "

THN "Must also improve his overall play whenever he does not have the puck."

 

[haseoke39]

Also, this is not a new take on Alex, so it would be great if people could stop acting like anybody has any agenda against him. It was in just about every pre-draft scouting report.

I also just wish we could get over the "agenda" garbage. Even if Joe Blow disagreed with every major scouting report, if their honest assessment was that Alex Nylander had, say, terrible hands, that would be their honest opinion. They might be a terrible judge of talent. They might be deeply committed to that flawed opinion. But that's what they see when they watch the player.

If they had some money coming in on the side from a bookie for deflating Alex Nylander's fantasy draft status by spreading false scouting reports on him, that would be an agenda.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

For the Nth time I was mot impressed by Alex. I only caught patches of play from the prospects game but he did not look impressive. Hope its just a matter of game type (scrimmage) rather than normal behavior for him. But even with thw puck to be honest I was not too impressed. Starting to think I should have vited Guhle over him in the last poll. He def looks more impressive every time I catch them play (admittedly thats very rare when one doesnt eatch Rochester...)

I honestly think theres better chance Guhle is on the team by trade deadline rather than Alex and arguably it should be harder for Gihle to get a spot on the depthchart than for Alex as we are pretty barebones on the wing depth aspect.

 

[Moskau]

Disinterested is exactly how I would describe Mikhail Sergachev for 80% of his season last year but that doesn't stop people from saying we took the wrong player.

 

[Reddawg]

I'm feeling pretty dejected about Nylander too, after feeling like he was the obvious right choice when we selected him in 2016. If he doesn't get the AHL figured out this year, he's not likely to have much of an NHL career. I'm hopeful but guarded that he will, his brother looked far better in his first season.

 

[Dingo44]

For the Nth time I was mot impressed by Alex. I only caught patches of play from the prospects game but he did not look impressive. Hope its just a matter of game type (scrimmage) rather than normal behavior for him. But even with thw puck to be honest I was not too impressed. Starting to think I should have vited Guhle over him in the last poll. He def looks more impressive every time I catch them play (admittedly thats very rare when one doesnt eatch Rochester...)

I honestly think theres better chance Guhle is on the team by trade deadline rather than Alex and arguably it should be harder for Gihle to get a spot on the depthchart than for Alex as we are pretty barebones on the wing depth aspect.

Let's sell low.

He played about one prospect game, with scrubs, apparently banged up, after not playing a meaningful game all summer.

Not saying he is the same person as his brother, but he's only NINETEEN, and the development is tracking the same way.

 

[Icicle]

I'm feeling pretty dejected about Nylander too, after feeling like he was the obvious right choice when we selected him in 2016. If he doesn't get the AHL figured out this year, he's not likely to have much of an NHL career. I'm hopeful but guarded that he will, his brother looked far better in his first season.

Oh he will likely still play the NHL at some point and be a contributor. He's just not a complete lock, let's get him in the NHL ASAP, for the top line LW you might hope out of a 7OA. Couldn't have a better situation for him to enter the line-up at this point, but he's not turning heads. Doesn't mean he won't get there either.

 

[Reddawg]

Oh he will likely still play the NHL at some point and be a contributor. He's just not a complete lock, let's get him in the NHL ASAP, for the top line LW you might hope out of a 7OA. Couldn't have a better situation for him to enter the line-up at this point, but he's not turning heads. Doesn't mean he won't get there either.

No, I agree that draft pedigree alone will likely get him 400 games in the NHL. Contribution-wise though, I'm feeling like he's going to be more Colin Wilson than William Nylander in terms of output. Hoping that he doesn't end up as a Marek Zagrapan.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Let's sell low.

He played about one prospect game, with scrubs, apparently banged up, after not playing a meaningful game all summer.

Not saying he is the same person as his brother, but he's only NINETEEN, and the development is tracking the same way.

Who said anything about selling?

 

[brian_griffin]

I probably look disinterested all the time at my job. I still get it job. Sure, the company may not pick me in the first round, but I'd be a third round steal.

I really liked this post.

It also made me think of how one would equate their work style to a particular hockey player.

 

[Chainshot]

I have to admit, I was pretty down on how he played in that first game. But if he had some sort of condition as it seems he did that forced him to shut it down for the entire weekend, I'm certainly willing to give him a break. I'd rather he not rush back, I'd rather he get healthy. Same thing with Malone.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

I'm not terribly concerned about him. But I sure will be if he can't score 20 this year in Rochester. An 8th overall pick with his pedigree should impress in his second season in the AHL.

 

[pigpen65]

He played in the OHL when he was drafted. Not Sweden.

For real? I just assumed Sweden because he played in the AHL as an 18 year old. Wow, that makes the decision like 100 times worse. Juniors would have been perfect for him. Why in the hell rush him in the AHL when he was built like a twig when he could have been in Juniors? Terrible

 

[pigpen65]

I think you can make an argument either way. Stay in OHL and tear it up, or turn pro and learn the grind of the pro game. It may be that the benefits of the latter get realized this season.

I think the issue for him is still just physical maturity. Some guys can't grow a beard till they are 25. Some high school kids have 12 o clock shadows. Nylander is still waiting for natures steroid to fill out his frame. There's no good reason to have him in the pros before it happens. Putting him in the AHL last year when he still could have been in Juniors is a complete waste.

 

[sincerity0]

"Disinterested" is probably not the right word, as it has some projection on his psychology, but, he doesn't engage with the play when he doesn't have the puck. While that theoretically could be due to a, "disinterest," in the outcome of the game, it would be a pretty wild speculation without much convincing evidence. For whatever reason though, he does not play well without the puck. Can it be coached? I don't know. How much of a jump he makes this year should give us a pretty good indication.

Also, this is not a new take on Alex, so it would be great if people could stop acting like anybody has any agenda against him. It was in just about every pre-draft scouting report.

The Hockey Writers "At times he can seem more like he’s waiting for his team to get the puck back than pursuing it with any real conviction."

LWOS "Nylander also has to work on being more conscientious on the back check and not cheat to create offensive chances. "

THN "Must also improve his overall play whenever he does not have the puck."

Nice quotes --

Does anyone believe that Nylander is actually disinterested out there? I used the term as more of how he looks not necessarily how he feels. Maybe you hinted at that.

Posters say he looks disinterested because he's not a ferocious forechecker -- and that's okay.

What Nylander needs to do, and the scouting reports mentioned, is learn how to be active every step of the play. A ton of young players get criticized for this - it's not a big deal. If Alex plays in juniors last year and puts up 90 points are we complaining? No.

He's got learning to do but my finger won't be hovering over the panic button unless he doesn't make a nice improvement this year.

 

[DJN21]

I think the issue for him is still just physical maturity. Some guys can't grow a beard till they are 25. Some high school kids have 12 o clock shadows. Nylander is still waiting for natures steroid to fill out his frame. There's no good reason to have him in the pros before it happens. Putting him in the AHL last year when he still could have been in Juniors is a complete waste.

I'm less concerned about his physical abilities to grow. The hockey IQ is there...his body can and will grow into it. My concern is exactly what others have echoed here...I compared him to watching grigorenko recently...or if you will a later career vanek...the skill is there the IQ is there...he just seems to lack the drive required to want to score. I hope that was 18 year old in the AHL jitters and he comes out much more confident because the skill is there. It's his mental make up I worry about most.

 

[joshjull]

I'm less concerned about his physical abilities to grow. The hockey IQ is there...his body can and will grow into it. My concern is exactly what others have echoed here...I compared him to watching grigorenko recently...or if you will a later career vanek...the skill is there the IQ is there...he just seems to lack the drive required to want to score. I hope that was 18 year old in the AHL jitters and he comes out much more confident because the skill is there. It's his mental make up I worry about most.

Thats where staying at a lower level could have helped him. Many young players are given things to work on when sent back. Something thats easier to do when at a level where they can forgo parts of their game they already are strong at to work on weaker aspects yet still be effective at that level.

EDIT: I would add that moving him to the higher level can also work but it requires a support structure around the player. Thats coaches as well as a solid roster with strong players to play with. We certainly didn't have that last year. We will this coming year. I don't see many excuses for him now.

 

[dkollidas]

I'll admit, of our high end pieces, especially since the pick of Mittelstadt (I know, shiny new toy syndrome), I do see Nylander as the most disposable of those assets). He could be the centerpiece to a deal for another top end RHD in the future.

Too soon to say of course, but I'm just saying if any of Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Mittelstadt, Nylander, Ristolainen, become "expendable", Nylander would be top on my list. I didn't include Kane just because of his contract situation.

 

[DJN21]

Thats where staying at a lower level could have helped him. Many young players are given things to work on when sent back. Something thats easier to do when at a level where they can forgo parts of their game they already are strong at to work on weaker aspects yet still be effective at that level.

EDIT: I would add that moving him to the higher level can also work but it requires a support structure around the player. Thats coaches as well as a solid roster with strong players to play with. We certainly didn't have that last year. We will this coming year. I don't see many excuses for him now.

Well said. As a poster above said if he can't score 20 with the supporting cast he has this year then it's time to be worried. I hope for the best I really do. ..why wouldn't I? But I have my doubts creeping on me.

 

[Snippit]

The guy has way too much offensive ability to not eventually break through to the NHL.

His hands around the net are nothing short of filthy. I really believe he'll be on the team after the trade deadline if we end up trading Kane (we should)

I also believe Mittelstadt can crack the line up by next year.

 

[Dingo44]

Another thing to remember is by all accounts he showed up for the rookie camp bigger and stronger so he's been working hard all summer. So the work ethic is there, at least off the ice, and I suspect if he's going to work that hard on getting ready he's going to work on his game and listen to coaching on the ice. Plus, let's see what Chris Taylor/Phil Housley, etc. can do with him that wasn't getting done with the Blysma/Lambert group.

 

[LaxSabre]

 

[Chainshot]

We still have zero information on what is wrong with him and it casts the whole conversation Taylor-Nylander conversation quote from the other day into a different light. "Ready" may have been in relation to whatever LBI he's dealing with and clearly he was not ready judging by his play.