As rumored yesterday, the Buffalo Sabres have recalled top prospect Alex Nylander, who will make his debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs (including his brother William) this evening. Nylander was the Sabres first pick, eighth overall in last summer’s entry draft. Despite only turning 19 yesterday Nylander has played the entire season with Rochester of the AHL, as though he played last year with Mississauga of the OHL, he had been on loan from his Swedish club and is not restrained by the usual age limit.
Nylander’s father, Michael, was a long time NHL forward and even spent last season coaching in Mississauga. His boys will now play an NHL against each other for the first time in their careers, after meeting in the preseason last year. Depending on where the Sabres decide to deploy the younger Nylander, they may even be on the ice quite a bit against each other.
The Sabres’ Nylander is quite a prospect, though he hasn’t made the immediate impact of his brother at the AHL level. 27 points in 62 games is still very impressive for a rookie playing almost the entire season at the age of 18. His style of speed, power and skill hasn’t quite meshed but is still an intriguing mix that should bring him success at the higher level. While he does still possess some of the silky smooth style his father and brother were known for, his is a more straight-line game that has better defensive upside. Sabres fans should be incredibly excited to see him after what has been a very disappointing season.