The Calgary Flames enter the 2026/27 season with a massive logjam in their forward group, and with none of those forwards being elite level game changers (although some have potential), the team will need to make some big decisions ahead of the regular season.
Sure, Matt Coronato, Samuel Honzek and Matvei Gridin are likely to play roles for the Flames, with Frost, Huberdeau, Strome, Backlund and Farabee all locked into their roles, but beyond that, things are very interchangable for Ryan Huska.
As a result, the last thing anyone expected was to see more bodies brought in ahead of training camp, but on Tuesday, with the return to Calgary right around the corner for many on the team, it was reported the team are ready to sign a former top-10 pick to a professional tryout.
Alex Nylander set to Sign a PTO With the Calgary Flames
That would be Calgary native Alex Nylander, who was originally drafted No. 8 overall by the Buffalo Sabres back in 2016, whose brother, William is a star with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and has been one of the NHL's best wingers for quite some time.
Unfortunately, Alex has never quite settled at the NHL level, but given that he's still just 28-years-old, the Flames are taking a chance on him by signing him to a PTO, with the move first reported by PuckPedia on social media.
Sounds like Alex Nylander will be coming to camp with the #Flames, likely on a PTO.
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) August 26, 2026
24G 53P in 65 AHL GPhttps://t.co/WOLU0PxO7L
Across his time in the NHL, Nylander has played for Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Toronto, but in that stretch, he's appeared in just 126 games, tallying 24 goals and 49 points in that span.
Can Alex Nylander be an NHL Player for the Flames?
On first glance, this could be competition with the likes of Adam Klapka and Martin Pospisil for the fourth-line role at the NHL level, but at a deeper look, it could also give him the opportunity to push for a significant role in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers, a team that desperately need a replacement for Martin Frk.
While Nylander's NHL career hasn't thrived, he's stepped up given any opportunity in the AHL, and last season with the Toronto Marlies, he posted career highs with 24 goals and 53 points in 65 games played.
Whether or not he can make a genuine run at an NHL spot, only time will tell, but if Nylander is open to a run in the AHL once again, the Wranglers have open spots in their forward group with the team having the ability to offer him a key role for the team if that's the way he wants to go.
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