Penguins re-sign restricted free agent forward Alex Nylander

The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed forward Alex Nylander to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a salary cap hit of $750,000, the NHL minimum.

Nylander, 24, was scheduled to become a restricted free agent when the NHL’s free agent-signing period opens Wednesday.

Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 5, Nylander appeared in 44 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) and posted 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) while primarily being deployed on one of the AHL Penguins’ top two lines.

Appearing in all six of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s postseason games, Nylander was the team’s leading scorer with six points (three goals, three assists).

Nylander (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) was a first-round pick (No. 8 overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft. Throughout his five-year professional career, Nylander has appeared in 84 career NHL games with the Sabres and Blackhawks and scored 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists).

The Penguins acquired Nylander in hopes of resurrecting his once bright NHL career. After breaking through as a full-time NHL player with the Blackhawks in 2019-20, Nylander missed the entire 2020-21 season because of a knee injury.

Last season, after opening the 2021-22 campaign with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, Nylander requested a trade and was eventually dealt to the Penguins in exchange for forward Sam Lafferty.

“It’s been getting better for me, getting my legs going and becoming a dangerous player out there,” Nylander said in February. “It’s just been really positive for me here, and they’ve been great to me here every single day.

Nylander is the son of former NHL forward Michael Nylander and the brother of current Maple Leafs forward William Nylander.

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