PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Now in his third season with the Pens having a near point-a-game season in the AHL last year, forward Alex Nylander is not backing down from his intentions as he scored a goal and the game-winner in a shootout in the Pens exhibition win over Columbus Sunday afternoon.
“Obviously I’m here to take a spot on the team,” Nylander told 93.7 The Fan.
There is deeper competition for those spots this year (improved Drew O’Connor, adding Noel Acciari, Lars Eller, Matt Nieto, Vinnie Hinostroza) means better depth than last season, but Nylander believes he’s grown as a player after just 14 goals his first AHL season with the Pens, he had 25 goals with 25 assists in 55 games with Wilkes-barre/Scranton in 2022-23.
“I’m more confident than I was last year,” Nylander said. “I had a really good summer training-wise, both on and off the ice. I’ve been working my butt off.”
“I’ve shown I’m more confident, I can win battles, make good plays in the D-zone and offensively.”
“His offense has always been there,” said Pens assistant coach Mike Vellucci. “It’s the details of the rest of the game that he’s been working on. That’s where he’s shown the improvement. He’s always going to score because he’s so gifted and talented offensively, but he’s got to work on the rest of the game.”
Vellucci has noticed a difference in the 25-year-old’s work ethic, how he tracks the puck and said he’s done a great job. The coaching staff believes when he does those little things he will be rewarded with goals.
Nylander agrees, he said he’s been focusing on having a good forecheck and backcheck and winning those puck battles. He showed it off against Columbus, adding a pair of blocked shots and three hits.
Nylander has played 93 games in the NHL over parts of five seasons-first with Buffalo, then a near full season in Chicago in 2019-20 and nine games last year with the Pens. He has 14 goals over that 93-game span, but he and the coaches believe this new mindset, knowledge, work ethic gives him the opportunity not just to score, but make this team.
That’s what Nylander is here to do.