The Maple Leafs have signed 2014 top pick William Nylander to a three-year entry-level deal on Monday. The 18-year-old son of former NHLer Michael Nylander was the eighth selection in the NHL Entry Draft held in Philadelphia in June and is expected to get a long look from Toronto management beginning with their rookie tournament in London, ON in mid-September.
“Not only does William Nylander bring a high level of speed and skill to his game but he has a very strong character on and off the ice,… Leafs GM Dave Nonis said in a press release. “We believe he has a very bright future and are happy to have him signed to his first NHL contract.…
Nylander played 22 games with MODO of the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14 and it is expected that if he does not make the Leafs out of training camp that he will return to Sweden for another season before coming to North America next year.
Although he did not participate in the summer orientation camp in Lake Placid, NY, Nylander is likely to be a member of Team Sweden’s roster for the upcoming 2015 IIHF World Junior Tournament in Montreal and Toronto this December.
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The Maple Leafs also announced their broadcast schedule for the upcoming season. Veteran broadcaster Joe Bowen will be exclusively handling the radio duties along with analyst Jim Ralph. This is a change from last season when Jon Abbott would do mid-week games on the radio when Bowen did the play-by-play on regional Sportsnet or Leafs TV broadcasts.
The radio broadcasts have again been split equally between Sportsnet Fan 590 and TSN 1050 Radio.
All of the 82 games will be televised, with 56 being aired on Sportsnet and other Rogers affiliate and 26 games on TSN.
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