Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Nylander, Roslovic & Chances to Move Up – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are getting closer to training camp, and some of the more interesting stories aren’t necessarily about the biggest names on the roster. Sometimes they are about the players who are trying to find their way into the lineup, or trying to find their way somewhere else.

That makes these two stories worth putting together. Alex Nylander is moving on from the organization after a productive season with the Marlies, while Jack Roslovic is arriving in Toronto with a chance to become something more than the middle-six forward many people expect him to be. They’re very different stories, but both say something about the competition for jobs on this Maple Leafs roster.

Alex Nylander Leaves Toronto After Strong Marlies Season

Alex Nylander appears to be moving on from the Maple Leafs organization, with reports that the 28-year-old forward is expected to attend Calgary Flames training camp on a professional tryout.

There’s something a little strange about that. Nylander is coming off a very good season with the Marlies, scoring 24 goals and 53 points in 65 regular-season games. He then added seven points in 24 playoff games as the Marlies won the Calder Cup. He wasn’t just hanging around the organization. He was productive and part of a championship team.

But the Maple Leafs still couldn’t find a regular NHL role for him. That’s really the story. Toronto has a lot of competition for forward spots, and while Nylander has shown that he can produce at the AHL level, he hasn’t been able to turn that production into a sustained NHL opportunity. Now Calgary is giving him another chance to do exactly that.

There’s also the family part of this. Alex moving to Calgary probably means the Toronto chapter of the Nylander brothers is over. William is firmly established as one of the Maple Leafs’ stars, while Alex is now trying to find his own path back to the NHL. For Toronto, moving on makes sense. For Alex, a change of scenery might be exactly what he needs.

Jack Roslovic Could Be a Bigger Part of the Maple Leafs’ Plans Than Expected

Jack Roslovic is a different kind of story. Toronto signed the 29-year-old to a two-year, $8-million contract after he scored 21 goals and 36 points in 69 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season. On the surface, that looks like a middle-six signing. But there might be a little more here.

Roslovic has scored at least 20 goals three times, and his career high is 45 points. Give him better offensive players and a bigger opportunity, and there’s a reasonable argument that he could challenge that career high. That’s particularly interesting if the Maple Leafs decide to give him some time alongside Auston Matthews.

The two already have a connection from their days with the U.S. National Team Development Program. That doesn’t mean they are automatically going to become linemates who suddenly produce 70 points each. Hockey isn’t quite that cooperative. But familiarity certainly can’t hurt.

And this is where Roslovic becomes an interesting Maple Leafs player. Toronto doesn’t need him to become a star. It needs him to bring speed, secondary scoring and some versatility to a forward group that has been reshaped this summer. If he finds some chemistry with Matthews, suddenly a $4-million-a-year signing starts looking like something more important.

What Do These Stories Tell Us About the Maple Leafs?

There is a funny thing about building an NHL roster. Sometimes improving the team means letting a player go even when that player has done a pretty good job. Nylander had a productive year, but Toronto couldn’t offer him the NHL opportunity he wanted. Calgary can give him a chance to move up to the NHL level.

Roslovic, meanwhile, is walking into the kind of opportunity Nylander couldn’t find. That’s the nature of the business. One player leaves because the organization doesn’t have a place for him, while another arrives hoping to make a place for himself.

And that’s probably what makes the Maple Leafs’ forward group worth watching when training camp begins. There are jobs available, but there aren’t many guarantees. Roslovic has a chance to move up the lineup. Younger players will be trying to move past veterans. And Toronto will have to figure out which players actually make the team better rather than simply adding another name to the roster.

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