The New York Islanders had a busy start to free agency, signing Anthony Duclair to a four-year contract and bringing back Mike Reilly on a one-year deal. From there, they re-signed Simon Holmstrom and some skaters to play in the AHL. While the moves so far have addressed some issues from last season, the team still needs to add upside, specifically in the bottom six. Luckily, free agent Alex Nylander is still available and would be a great fit.
Who is Alex Nylander?
Nylander is a 6-foot-1 winger who has 121 NHL games under his belt. At 28 years old, he has seen time on four different NHL teams. Most recently, he played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games last season. Despite this, the team opted not to bring him back, leading him to unrestricted free agency.
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Nylander battled with some minor injuries last season, but when he was on the ice, he looked phenomenal. He is an elusive skater with tremendous skill and instinct. He likes to utilize his soft hands and vision to make seamless passes along the perimeter of the offensive zone, and he knows how to put one past the goaltender from anywhere on the ice with his lethal wrist shot.
During his time with the Blue Jackets, Nylander found the most success alongside Cole Sillinger and Alexandre Texier where the line accounted for eight goals in 13 games, good for 6.64 goals per 60 minutes. Alone, Nylander finished the season with a 53.8 goals percentage (G%) and a 53.9 expected goals percentage (xG%), top-three in both categories for Blue Jackets’ forwards, according to MoneyPuck. Given he has played more than 12 games in a season just twice in his career, it is understandable to be weary of his abilities, however, his advanced analytics and per-60-minute rates are stellar, meaning his performance is sustainable.
Why the Islanders Should Sign Nylander
Nylander makes a lot of sense for the Islanders for three main reasons. The first is his offensive upside. The Islanders lack speed, skill, and production in the bottom six, and Nylander would provide all three qualities. Last season, the Islanders’ leading scorers in the bottom six were Holmstrom (15), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (11), Pierre Engvall (10), and Casey Cizikas (10), with all three playing in 70 or more games. By adding Nylander, the Islanders would be adding a true scoring threat with a 20+ goal upside.
The second reason the Islanders should target Nylander is his advanced analytics. If Nylander were on Long Island last season, he would have ranked:
- First in goals per 60 minutes
- Second in expected goals per 60 minutes
- Fifth in points per 60 minutes
- Sixth in G%
- Fourth in xG%
Nylander demonstrated what he was capable of once given a legitimate role in a lineup, and his advanced analytics prove his 11 goals in 23 games were no fluke. His counting stats were impressive and the advanced analytics show he can repeat it all again, making him a prime candidate to “break out” next season.
The third and main reason the Islanders should target Nylander is that there is nothing to lose. He is likely going to sign a short-term deal worth less than $1.1 million annually, meaning at any moment, the Islanders can bury his salary in the AHL without counting towards the salary cap. If he plays well in the preseason and earns a permanent spot in the NHL, he would be a high-upside asset signed for close to the league minimum.
Where Nylander Would Fit
Given Nylanders’ offensive upside, he could play on the third line alongside Pageau and Anders Lee. Pageau is one of the best two-way centers in the NHL, and his 55.4 faceoff win percentage is an asset the Islanders love to utilize in the offensive zone. This would be a great way to capitalize on Nylanders’ addition to the lineup since his success last season came from starting 21.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone, his most since 2018.
Nylander also benefits from starting each shift at the faceoff dot, with only 52.8% of his shifts beginning on the fly last season. For comparison, all but two Islanders started 52.8% or more of their shifts on the fly. Success after a faceoff makes sense for someone like Nylander who excels at seeing the ice clearly and setting up plays.
From here, Nylander would greatly benefit from playing alongside Lee, one of the best net-front power forwards in the NHL. Lee does a fantastic job at screening the goalie and tucking in rebounds, two assets that would pair well with Nylander’s sneaky hard wrist shot that generates lots of rebounds.
The Islanders would also benefit from having Nylander on the second powerplay unit. He is well experienced on the point, and outside of Noah Dobson, the team needs a second option to quarterback the powerplay. Putting Nylander, a right shot, on the point of the second unit alongside Reilly, a left shot, would give the team two capable puck carriers who know how to slow down play in the offensive zone. It may not seem like much, but adding Nylander could add an extra four to five goals from the second unit for the season.
There’s plenty of time left in the offseason for the Islanders to make another move, whether through free agency or a trade. However, they clearly need to add another depth forward, and few would be as affordable as Nylander while offering his level of offensive upside.
