Alex Nylander’s time in Toronto looks to be finished, and Calgary is the next stop.
Reports indicate the former Marlies forward is likely headed to the Flames on a PTO agreement, with Puckpedia listing Nylander as expected to sign one in the coming days and already showing him tied to Calgary rather than free agency.
The move would put an end to the possibility of Alex and William Nylander sharing the ice in Toronto, at least for now. If Alex doesn’t land an NHL contract with the Flames, there’s still a chance he could circle back to the Marlies later on.
Nylander, 27, put together a strong season for Toronto’s AHL club. He played 65 regular-season games and finished with 53 points, including 24 goals, then added seven points in 24 playoff games as the Marlies went on to win the Calder Cup.
Even with that production, he never found a real NHL foothold with the Maple Leafs. He appeared in just five games during the 2024-25 season and didn’t record a point. Across his NHL career, Nylander has 49 points in 126 games, with 25 goals and 24 assists, and he’s also spent time with Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Columbus.
Toronto signed him in the summer of 2025, hoping he might offer some scoring depth and maybe even a chance to play alongside his brother. That never came together on the ice, and with Craig Berube’s lineup setup during the 2025-26 season, it was difficult to see a clear role for him. Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz were taking up the minutes in the kind of fourth-line territory Nylander would have been fighting for, while he was busy helping the Marlies in their playoff run.
For Calgary, the upside is straightforward: the Flames get a look at a player who has already shown he can score in the AHL, without giving up assets or making a long-term commitment. A PTO gives them a chance to evaluate him in camp and preseason, and if he can carry some of that offensive touch to the NHL level, he could be a useful depth piece.
There are really only a couple of ways this plays out. If Nylander makes the Flames roster, it raises questions about why Toronto never gave him a longer look. If he doesn’t stick, Calgary may simply have wanted a closer look before deciding whether to offer him something else, perhaps another AHL deal.
Either way, it closes the book on one of the more notable Leafs storylines. Toronto found a star in William Nylander, but never quite got the same spark from his younger brother.
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