When the Columbus Blue Jackets traded Emil Bemstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Alexander Nylander and a conditional draft pick, it didn’t seem like a major game-changer. Bemstrom had underperformed heavily, and similarly, Nylander hadn’t shown much in his limited chances at the NHL level.
The main reason that the Blue Jackets got a draft pick in the trade as well, was likely the fact that Nylander is a year older and has had less production at the American Hockey League level than Bemstrom. Despite being the eighth-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Nylander was never able to live up to the hype around him. To add insult to injury to the young forward, his brother William Nylander has been tearing it up with the Toronto Maple Leafs after also being an eighth-overall pick two years earlier. While it’s been a small sample size, it’s safe to say the younger Nylander is playing the best hockey of his NHL career since arriving in Columbus.
Slow Start
During Nylander’s first two games with the Blue Jackets, there was definitely an adjustment period as he settled in with his new team. During his debut, he failed to even record a shot against the New York Rangers in over 11 minutes of ice time. A few days later, he found his confidence and despite not recording a point, he had five shots on goal in a second straight game against the Rangers.
Nylander’s ice time had a significant bump during that game though and head coach Pascal Vincent clearly trusted him. He played 14 minutes in the second half of the home-and-home and although he was still without a point, things were trending in the right direction.
On a Heater
Nylander really found his game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 29. He recorded two points, both his first goal and assist as a Blue Jacket. Even more impressive to Blue Jackets’ fans was the fact that his goal came on the power play, an area that the organization has struggled with for a long time. It’s been his only power-play point so far, but if he can find a way to produce in that role consistently, he can easily become a fan favorite in Columbus. Even though he hasn’t recorded another point with the man advantage yet though, he’s certainly produced quite a bit more since that night.
After recording a single assist against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 2, Nylander had a career game against the defending Stanley Cup champions on Monday (March 4). The Canadian-born Swedish forward recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career, in a 6-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. At that point, it pushed his total to six points in the five games with his new team. He also had a three-game point streak as the Blue Jackets visited his former team, the Penguins in the second half of a back-to-back on Tuesday (March 5). Unfortunately for him, he was held without a point during that contest and the Blue Jackets lost 5-3.
A big part of the reason he’s succeeding is his instant chemistry with linemates Alex Texier and Cole Sillinger. He also spent some time with Sillinger and Kent Johnson before Johnson’s season-ending injury and he played well, but his best hockey has come with Texier on his line. It’s hard to imagine that Vincent will split that line up any time soon if they keep getting results.
Related: Blue Jackets’ Cole Sillinger: A Future NHL Star in the Making
As we approach the end of another disappointing season in Columbus, there aren’t many bright spots for the organization this time around. With that being said though, Nylander seems like he can turn into one if he can continue playing at a high level consistently. His current level of point-per-game production is unsustainable, but if he can turn into a solid middle-six forward, it would be a major win for the Blue Jackets. It could simply be a flash in the pan with a new team, or it could be a formerly highly touted prospect finally starting to bloom. For now, all we can do is wait and see.