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Sabres' Alex Nylander recalled for NHL debut against Leafs, brother William

kyle cantlon
Writer
buffalo sabres, toronto maple leafs, william nylander, alex nylander, nhl
Buffalo Sabres prospect Alex Nylander will be making his NHL debut against his brother, Maple Leafs rookie William Nylander. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)

You can never have too much Nylander in the NHL.

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Buffalo Sabres top prospect Alex Nylander will be making his NHL debut on Monday night, and he will do so against the Toronto Maple Leafs and opposite of his brother, William, the team confirmed Monday. The younger Nylander was the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft, and has put up nine goals, 18 assists and 27 points in 62 games with Buffalo’s AHL affiliate in Rochester. He reportedly skipped the Americans’ trip to Albany on Sunday to prepare for Monday’s NHL debut.

During the Leafs last trip to Buffalo on March 25, William — who is second on the Leafs in points, posting 22 goals, 37 assists and 59 points in 76 games — offered his thoughts on his brother’s potential, and seemingly inevitable, recall to the big club before the end of Buffalo’s season.

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“I talk to him almost every day. He’s learning. It’s a different league so you take some time to get going there. He’s been going up and down and hopefully he can finish the season off well. It’s a learning process. Every player has to to go through that stuff. He’s learning and it will be a good year for him,” William said, according to TSN.

Before being selected with the Sabres’ first pick last June, Nylander had 28 goals, 47 assists and 75 points in 57 games for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads, and added another six goals and 12 points in six postseason games. The 19-year-old also had a strong showing at this year’s World Junior Championship, tying for the tournament lead in scoring with five goals and 12 points in seven games for Team Sweden. With the Nylander brothers set to face off against each in the show for the first time, Alex’s end-of-season stint with the big club undoubtedly signifies the start of a new era in the storied Leafs-Sabres QEW rivalry.

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