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Why Alex Nylander is ending his quest to join brother William on the Leafs

The younger of the Swedish siblings has signed a professional tryout agreement with the Calgary Flames

Published Aug 27, 2026  •  Last updated 14 hours ago  •  2 minute read

Alex Nylander, left, and William Nylander. Photo by TORONTO MARLIES PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

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Alex Nylander’s goal to be an NHL regular on the same team as brother William is done, at least as Maple Leafs. 

Alex, the younger of the Swedish siblings at 28, has signed a professional tryout agreement with the Calgary Flames as league training camps get nearer in mid-September. The salary cap web site PuckPedia listed Nylander on the Flames roster this week.      

Despite a 53-point season for the AHL Marlies and a role in their long Calder Cup run, winger Alex didn’t get a look as Leafs made many call-ups from the minors, then looked past many of their farm assets this summer to sign other NHLers in general manager John Chayka’s roster re-do. 

Having turned down earlier NHL offers for an AHL deal in 2024 to live with William and hopefully join him at Scotiabank Arena, the former 2016 first pick of the Buffalo Sabres has decided to seek a one-way contract elsewhere. 

Alex did play five games with the Leafs in 2024-25 under GM Brad Treliving and coach Craig Berube, with no points. In 126 NHL games with Buffalo, Chicago, Columbus and Pittsburgh he has 25 goals and 49 points, skilled but not known for belligerence. 

Alex no doubt sees a fortuitous connection in Calgary, where he and William were born while their father Michael was with the Flames much of the 1990s. 

Alex kept a high profile for NHL prop scouts through the spring with the Marlies, netting six goals and an assist through 24 playoff games.  

William has been very supportive of his brother’s efforts to re-start his career and attended many Marlies playoff games as Alex achieved a team championship, while William awaits his first long playoff run in more than a decade as a Leaf. 

On Thursday, the Marlies announced they re-signed forward Reese Johnson to a two-year AHL contract and new forward Jackson Kunz and goaltender Timofei Obvintsev to one-year AHL deals.

Regina native Johnson played 47 games last year, with six goals and 15 points, then made it in 15 playoff games. He has 17 points in 144 career regular season NHL games with Minnesota and Chicago. Kunz, 24, split last season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and ECHL Kalamazoo Wings. The 6-3, 227-pound Kunz played for his home-state University of North Dakota, a fourth-round pick of Vancouver in 2020.

The 6-foot-3 Obvintsev has continued in his native Russia since Toronto picked him in the fifth round of the ’24 draft. In 34 career games with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva of the MHL the past four seasons, his record was 15-14-0 with a .910 save percentage.

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby 

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