Former Maple Leafs forward Alex Nylander set to join the Calgary Flames on a professional tryout ahead of the NHL season

Former Maple Leafs forward Alex Nylander, who happens to be the brother of William Nylander, is all set to join the Calgary Flames on a professional tryout ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season, as confirmed by PuckPedia on Wednesday. This opportunity will surely give the 28-year-old winger the required exposure to compete for an NHL roster spot after spending the past two months in the Maple Leafs organization.Previously, Alex Nylander was signed by the Maple Leafs two years back, hoping to revive his NHL career. However, his opportunities at the NHL level were very limited, and he only appeared in five regular season for the games over the past two seasons and failed to record an impressive performance in the league.Alex Nylander is all set to join the Calgary Flames on a Professional Tryout (PTO) ahead of the upcoming seasonFormer Maple Leafs forward Alex Nylander is all set to join the Calgary Flames on a professional tryout ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season, providing him another opportunity to compete for an NHL roster spot. After spending the last two months with the Maple Leafs organization, former forward Alex Nylander is scheduled to attend a professional tryout with the Calgary Flames prior to the 2026–27 NHL season. This will give him another chance to compete for an NHL roster spot.Despite his inconsistency, Nylander has been very productive in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Toronto Marlies, registering 24 goals and 53 points in 65 AHL games last season. Across his last 227 AHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs, he has recorded 89 goals and 179 points, which is quite impressive.It is important to note that the former eighth overall pick was earlier selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2026 NHL Draft. So far, Alex Nylander has played 126 NHL games and registered only 25 goals and 48 points, not as good as his AHL performance.With the professional tryout, Calgary could provide Nylander a chance to prove his abilities in the NHL. Although the PTO doesn't guarantee him a contract or a roster spot, it will definitely allow him to compete during the training camp, where he can potentially show his potential.However, for Toronto, Nylander's departure represents another change within the organization, as it is going through some significant transition following the disappointing 2025-26 season.The Maple Leafs missed the playoffs last season and have since made substantial changes to the hockey operations and their rosters. It will be interesting to see how Nylander will perform with the Calgary Flames and if he can actually land a spot on their main roster this season.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.