Maple Leafs top prospect William Nylander’s North American professional debut had no storybook quality to it, as the Toronto Marlies lost a 3-0 decision to the Hamilton Bulldogs on Friday night. The 18-year-old forward showed off some of the same offensive abilities in his first AHL game that resulted in a point-per-game production in the SHL and 10 points for Sweden in the recent World Junior Championships.
Nylander played left wing on the Marlies top line with AHL veterans Greg McKegg and Spencer Abbott and took some time to get settled in, but made a couple rushes in the second period that had Hamilton defenders on their heels. Toronto coach Gord Dineen indicated following the game that the youngster played well in spite of a few positional mistakes and looking to pass more than shooting the puck.
“I thought he was fine out there,… Dineen said. “He was skating. He played with structure, when he had the puck down low he was making things happen.…
PHOTO: Maple Leafs fan tosses jersey at AHL game in Hamilton http://t.co/Q7KLESTb5c pic.twitter.com/ckgnhx1qdv
— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) January 24, 2015One factor that led Maple Leafs management to bring Nylander over midway through the season was a penchant during the WJC for not protecting himself from being hit. That habit was on display on Friday, when the Leafs top pick rushed into the Bulldogs zone late in the second period and cut towards the middle in an attempt to set up one of his linemates. Had that move been made in the NHL, the speedy Swede would have been vulnerable to getting his clock cleaned by an experienced defenseman. The Marlies roster is currently overflowing with Matt Frattin, Sam Carrick, Josh Leivo and Stuart Percy demoted by the Leafs during the NHL’s All-Star break to save cap space. That situation necessitated Dineen playing Nylander on the wing on Friday, but it is likely that he will get a look at center at points during the second half of the season.
“It’s a moving target as far as position and we’ll see where it goes.… Dineen said following the game. “He has been playing center most of the year over in Sweden but as our needs are right now, we thought it would be a better fit on the wing and sometimes it takes a little less responsibility out of his game(defensively).…
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Toronto’s Phil Kessel was the center of attention of the All-Star Fantasy Draft in Columbus on Friday night, but not for being selected last. Upon being selected by Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, the Leafs winger was referred to as “one of the most coachable players out there…, but the hilarity just continued as Kessel was the subject of the only “trade… of the night, as Toews moved Kessel to the club headed by Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno for Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars.
This was rather humorous on the part of the All-Star contingent and possibly doing a favor to prepare Kessel for a potential trade from the Maple Leafs this summer.
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