On a night where he wanted to make a lasting impression on Phil Housley and Jason Botterill, Alex Nylander did just that.
The former eighth overall draft pick from 2016 stood up and was counted in Buffalo's first exhibition game of the 2018-19 season.
The slick Swede notched two assists and was a big factor for the while game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Tage Thompson also added two assists in Buffalo's 4-1 win over Columbus.
The Sabres who won their first preseason game on goals by Patrik Berglund, Nathan Beaulieu, Kyle Criscuolo and Andrew Oglevie. Linus Ullmark, who played the first two periods in net for Buffalo, made 20 saves on 21 shots on goal for the win.
Nylander, 20, assisted on fellow Swede Patrik Berglund's first goal in a Buffalo Sabres sweater.
Then Nylander sauced a beauty of an assist to defenseman Nathan Beaulieu who dropped the clapper on it.
Nylander has high skill. He has succeeded at every level of hockey he has played at in his career. His creativity and playmaking abilities set Nylander apart. He skates well and is able to contol play by holding on to pucks. His passing is exceptional as evidenced on Monday night.
So why isn't Nylander in the NHL yet?
Consistency and lack thereof.
Nylander, who has scored 18 goals and 37 assists in 116 games with the Rochester Americans, has struggled with untimely injuries in his first two development camps. Nylander played in only 51 games for the Amerks last season. He suffered a lower body injury in September 2017 that kept him sidelined for nearly 90 days. His injury set him back in terms of being in contention to be the first call up when the Sabres needed to promote a scorer from the AHL roster.
Nylander found his game after Christmas and was at his best by March 2018 when he was recalled to Buffalo. A healthy and confident Nylander played three games at the end of the season for the Sabres, scoring his first NHL goal.
In August, Nylander returned to Buffalo from his native Sweden. He blew away his teammates and coaches with his impressive new physique. Nylander and his brother William (Toronto Maple Leafs ) worked with a personal trainer to achieve maximum physical fitness. Mission accomplished. "Snipeshow" converted his body fat to lean muscle mass on his 6'1" and 200 lb. frame. His muscle mass has not been a detriment. To the contrary. Nylander is now bigger, stronger and faster than ever before.
Now a third year pro, Nylander is doing everything in his power to convince Housley and Botterill that he is an NHL keeper. Earlier this month, Buffalo hosted Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Boston at the annual Prospect Challenge tourney. Without a doubt, Nylander as one of the best best Sabres players at the tourney. He played with a ton of poise, power and confidence.
Nylander has brought his trademark swagger to his third main camp and he's playing like a young mean who will not be denied an NHL roster spot.
Speaking with Nylander in the past few weeks, one gets the impression that the young man has become a man. In other words, he is not asking for permission nor is he worried about taking the spotlight away from other players in camp. Nylander wants to play in Buffalo and he doesn't care who knows it. Nylander is not saying much with his mouth. He is doing all of his talking with his feet, hands and brain.
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On Sunday, restricted free agent defenseman Josh Morrissey was signed to a two-year, $6.3 million bridge contract by the Winnipeg Jets. The 23 year old rear guard was looking for a long term contract, however, settled for the two year "show me" pact.
On Monday, the Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Darnell Nurse, 22, was to a two-year bridge contract worth $6.4 Million.
Like Morrissey, Nurse was looking for a longer term and a higher annual average value than what he settled for.
The Morrissey and Nurse signings come at a time when the NHL clubs are knee deep in the hoopla of training camp.
Neither player has a ton of leverage. Both are young and getting better with every game they play. Missing valuable time in training camp is less than desirable for any NHL player let alone a young defenseman.
Begrudgingly, Morrissey and Nurse signed their respective deals and now report to training camp with the "show me" message ringing in the back of their minds.
There are stiil five high profile unsigned RFAs sitting at home. Four forwards and one defenseman patiently wait for their agents to slug it out with team management.
Buffalo Sabres forward Samson Reinhart is reportedly seeking a long term contract in the $6M AAV range. The Sabres are offering a bridge with a lesser AAV. Reinhart has already missed four practice sessions, a scrimmage and an exhibition game. Losing mental and physical reps in September is not in Reinhart's best interest. Phil Housley is holdimg open tryouts for NHL jobs and Reinhart's time on ice is being handed to other Sabres forwards like Kyle Okposo and Justin Bailey. The Sabres are mot waiting for Reinhart to walk through the door. The show must go on for the Sabres, who finished dead last in 31st place in the NHL standings last season.
Reinhart may likely be the party who blinks first in his negotiations with Buffalo GM Jason Botterill. Reinhart would be wise to sign a one year "show me" contract for $6 million. Bet on yourself, Samson.
Similarly, William Nylander is looking for an $8M AAV over 8 season in Toronto. Not likely to happen. Nylander feels his worth every penny of $8 million annual average value. Problem being, the Leafs have Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner who will be restricted free agents next summer. Matthews will command $11M AAV and Marner will earn $9M AAV. Newly acquired number one John Tavares is now earning $11M AAV. Therefore, Nylander will have to settle for less money. Plain and simple.
New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero contimues to have dialogue with the agent of his young power forward Miles Wood. Shero isn't budging.
Ditto Nick Ritchie is Anaheim and Shea Theodore in Vegas.
The five unsigned restricted free agents have important decisions to make in the here and now.
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