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Despite no GM the Penguins re-sign depth player |
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When your team isn’t in the playoffs news can be a little slow. The Penguins are looking for a new front office so there should be news eventually. So far nothing on that front. Player moves aren’t super common, but we actually have one to talk about. The Penguins have re-signed Alex Nylander to a one-year contract at 775k.
I think Alex Nylander earned a one-year NHL deal with his time up on the big club this year. I was very skeptical when they traded for him a few years back because his early career was full of struggles. I think having him as a part of a fourth line with an offensive mindset can work. He can bump up when a player misses a game or so. I don’t have high expectations of him being able to stick in some kind of a top six role for any stretch of time and he doesn’t have to.
In Alex Nylander’s nine games (pretty small sample) he led all Penguins skaters with an xGF% of 65.52. he certainly wasn’t a liability out there. He only had a single goal and assist in his nine games. I think his xGF% is going to fall and I think you’ll see slightly better offensive production. So effectively you’ll have a competent 4th line player. The price is right for a team who needs to really take some big swings to fix their roster.
Worst case scenario Alex Nylander plays more like he did in his Rochester/Buffalo days and the team sends him down to WB/S. He would have to pass waivers and if he did his salary would clear off of the cap. The threshold is 1.075M. The one-way contract means he would still make his 775k playing in the AHL, which is pretty good for him.
This signing is a low risk move with some potential room for growth. It isn’t like Nylander would be blocking any prospects from a roster spot because they really don’t have any.
Who actually signed him? No clue. Your guess is as good as mine. At least it wasn't Ron Hextall or Brian Burke. We can all be happy for that.
Thanks for reading!
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