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

[joshjull]

Yeah, we'd be saying, is this kid wasting years playing where none of the immaturity in his game will ever be addressed. Hope he can play pro.

This line gets used for every player who ever struggles at the next level. Hell, if we sent Larsson to the CHL I'm sure he'd be leading them in scoring, maybe that would mean he's great.

Eh. Playing at a lower level allows a player to work on their weaknesses while not having to struggle at their strength. Something that could impact their confidence. Players after getting drafted usually get a set of things to work on from their drafting team when they go back to juniors or college. Teams keep in contact with the player to varying degrees to get updates on their progress. Its not a guarantee they fix their issues. But they don't go back to juniors/college with their drafting team hoping they just "figure it out".

 

[Icicle]

Eh. Playing at a lower level allows a player to work on their weaknesses while not having to struggle at their strength. Something that could impact their confidence. Players after getting drafted usually get a set of things to work on from their drafting team when they go back to juniors or college. Teams keep in contact with the player to varying degrees to get updates on their progress. Its not a guarantee they fix their issues. But they don't go back to juniors/college with their drafting team hoping they just "figure it out".

Drifters who aren't challenged just reinforce bad habits.

 

[joshjull]

Drifters who aren't challenged just reinforce bad habits.

That certainly could be an issue.

 

[Sabre Dance]

The good teams know how to develop their draft talent. This has been an organizational weakness for years and now we see the product on the ice. People just assume that the good teams are good because they hit pay dirt in the draft. There is more to it than the ability to judge a prospect leading to the draft. I see a lot of 'oh we missed out on X player and took this bust instead'. I don't buy it 100%. Yes, there are busts. But busting is not 100% in a players control.

Good teams don't need their rookies to play key roles. Maybe that's the key.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

I'll go back to the WJC this year, Ray Ferraro who's been doing the color commentary for the WJC broadcasts forever it seems, has seen way over 1,000 of the elite junior players compete in that tournament. He shocked me when he made his comment on Nylander because I have never heard Ferraro EVER suggest one of these kids looks like an NHL bust to him. Ferraro did that with Nylander, his exact words I can't remember but they were similar to this 'if Nylander doesn't get moving, working harder, moving his feet, he's not going to make the NHL'.

I kinda liked what I saw in his 3 games here at the end of the season. He wasn't awful defensively, good with his stick, in position, and scored a goal.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Good teams don't need their rookies to play key roles. Maybe that's the key.

The days of putting rookies who've played offensive roles in junior and minor pro on the 4th line in the NHL are over. This year's effort to reprogram Baptiste and Bailey into 3rd and 4th line mentalities to me is a mistake. Sean Malone is a young guy who is the kind of prospect you bring up and put on the 4th line, Fasching too.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Drifters who aren't challenged just reinforce bad habits.

Thats only one scenario out of many.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Good teams don't need their rookies to play key roles. Maybe that's the key.

Thats quiet the blanket statement and not really true depending on the rookie.

 

[Chainshot]

The days of putting rookies who've played offensive roles in junior and minor pro on the 4th line in the NHL are over. This year's effort to reprogram Baptiste and Bailey into 3rd and 4th line mentalities to me is a mistake. Sean Malone is a young guy who is the kind of prospect you bring up and put on the 4th line, Fasching too.

I must’ve missed When that happened in the first place.

 

[valet]

The days of putting rookies who've played offensive roles in junior and minor pro on the 4th line in the NHL are over. This year's effort to reprogram Baptiste and Bailey into 3rd and 4th line mentalities to me is a mistake. Sean Malone is a young guy who is the kind of prospect you bring up and put on the 4th line, Fasching too.

what do you mean? There are lots of players in the NHL that played offensive roles on the farm that play in the bottom six. No team is trying to develop pure 3rd and 4th line talents. The goal is to have each line be as good as possible

 

[OkimLom]

Thats quiet the blanket statement and not really true depending on the rookie.

Actually outside the Franchise guys, most rookies shouldn't be asked to play key roles. However, with that said Franchise guys shouldn't have to be playing THE key roles. Playing Eichel as a 2nd line center while insulated by ROR and a solid player in Larsson in matchups was a good call and the correct call. Eichel was one of the key players on the PP and was tasked as such. Eichel being tasked as the all-situations, heavy minute lifter over ROR and not utilizing Larsson correctly at times, would've been a disaster.

We need to bring quality NHL players to our top 6 so we don't have to rely on Nylander being a necessary goal scorer is what needs to be done. Look at Boeser. He wasn't asked to be "The man" but he was capable of bringing a solid rookie campaign because of the limits of what was asked of him. Same should be asked of Nylander and Mittelstadt. If they so happen to transform into that, then that is great news for us.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

when the Sabres are so deep at forward then at that time prospects will have no option to play on the team other than playing on the bottom lines. trying to turn Bailey and Baptiste into grinder types when our top 6 isn't even solidified is just dumb.

go look at a team like Colorado, they have JT Compher on their 4th line because Compher has always been seen as a player with an upside as a good 3C, Kerfoot, Jost and the prospect they got from Montreal play in their top 6.

you put players where they can succeed, on a stacked team you end up with talented players on the 3rd line which can score. the point is that Baptiste and Bailey should have had more ice time in the top 6 this season.

 

[Chainshot]

when the Sabres are so deep at forward then at that time prospects will have no option to play on the team other than playing on the bottom lines. trying to turn Bailey and Baptiste into grinder types when our top 6 isn't even solidified is just dumb.

go look at a team like Colorado, they have JT Compher on their 4th line because Compher has always been seen as a player with an upside as a good 3C, Kerfoot, Jost and the prospect they got from Montreal play in their top 6.

you put players where they can succeed, on a stacked team you end up with talented players on the 3rd line which can score. the point is that Baptiste and Bailey should have had more ice time in the top 6 this season.

Hang on a moment, Baptiste was drafted and the same sort of things that were said about Compher were said about Nic – speed, hot pursuit, probable upside in the bottom six, possible upside as a midline score if everything goes well.

Bailey was thought of as a toolsie project scoring liner. Neither are or were bluechippers.

 

[MagnumForce2]

I'll go back to the WJC this year, Ray Ferraro who's been doing the color commentary for the WJC broadcasts forever it seems, has seen way over 1,000 of the elite junior players compete in that tournament. He shocked me when he made his comment on Nylander because I have never heard Ferraro EVER suggest one of these kids looks like an NHL bust to him. Ferraro did that with Nylander, his exact words I can't remember but they were similar to this 'if Nylander doesn't get moving, working harder, moving his feet, he's not going to make the NHL'.

I kinda liked what I saw in his 3 games here at the end of the season. He wasn't awful defensively, good with his stick, in position, and scored a goal.

I went the Russia/Sweden game and I was thinking the same thing....not the bust part....but I expected him to stand out, however the compete level and foot movement weren't there.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

The good teams know how to develop their draft talent. This has been an organizational weakness for years and now we see the product on the ice. People just assume that the good teams are good because they hit pay dirt in the draft. There is more to it than the ability to judge a prospect leading to the draft. I see a lot of 'oh we missed out on X player and took this bust instead'. I don't buy it 100%. Yes, there are busts. But busting is not 100% in a players control.

This is 100% results oriented thinking.

The bolded is essentially true. Teams are good because their talent develops. Organizationally the biggest impact is either bringing in the right coach for your talent. Or getting talent to match your coach. And to a lessor extent building a locker room which works together. But even that is a bit of the tail wagging the dog.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Hang on a moment, Baptiste was drafted and the same sort of things that were said about Compher were said about Nic – speed, hot pursuit, probable upside in the bottom six, possible upside as a midline score if everything goes well.

Bailey was thought of as a toolsie project scoring liner. Neither are or were bluechippers.

I could've sworn we held Compher in somewhat of a higher regard than Baptiste/Bailey. I know for sure he was at least pegged as having a much higher floor. He was considered more of an lower-ceilinged Asplund than a Baily/Baptiste type.

Then again, my memory ain't so good these days.

 

[Chainshot]

I could've sworn we held Compher in somewhat of a higher regard than Baptiste/Bailey. I know for sure he was at least pegged as having a much higher floor. He was considered more of an lower-ceilinged Asplund than a Baily/Baptiste type.

Then again, my memory ain't so good these days.

Higher regard than Baptiste? Sure. That could be said by degrees. I thought we were talking about draftee scoring line players having to develop as score online players to graduate the pros. JT was a phenomenal offensive player on a tremendous line at Michigan, yet the things that make his game go-skating, tenacity, combativeness- are still there. To sum up, junior scores often become pro checkers.

 

[Deleted member 27798]

For those who saw Nylander in OHL games(not just highlights), did he exhibit poor tendencies during that one year...lack of effort, invisible, etc...

 

[ottawah]

The days of putting rookies who've played offensive roles in junior and minor pro on the 4th line in the NHL are over. This year's effort to reprogram Baptiste and Bailey into 3rd and 4th line mentalities to me is a mistake. Sean Malone is a young guy who is the kind of prospect you bring up and put on the 4th line, Fasching too.

Actually that is exactly opposite what is happening.

Hockey has become so fast and skilled grabbing junior pluggers and asking them to make the NHL is just not happening anymore. Look around, just about every "4th" line" type of player was a scoring star before they hit the NHL. In fact I find scoring numbers in junior are the greatest indicator of the ability to have success at the next level, regardless of the role. Its not a guarantee (therefore no correlation), but it is an indicator of if you have a chance.

 

[Chainshot]

Someone on the trade board actually nibbled on the idea of Nylander for one of the Kings Muzzin or Martinez. *shrug*

 

[Moskau]

Ship him to Siberia after the Maple Leafs use his brother as a scapegoat this Summer.

 

[sabremike]

Two words: Call Chiarelli!!!

 

[sabremike]

Also is there any way they read him the riot act by threatening to put him in Cincy next season if the effort doesn't improve? Maybe that's the wake up call he needs. Wish we could trade him straight up to the Isles for Ho-Sang because he is actually an NHL quality player (who the team stupidly buried as punishment in the AHL while icing the worst bottom 6 in the entire league).

 

[Chainshot]

Two words: Call Chiarelli!!!

Klefbom for Nylander? Oh man.... if only.

 

[Icicle]

Klefbom for Nylander? Oh man.... if only.

Throw in Girgensons and McCabe for good measure