Bright: Nylander Can Only Help Flyers At Camp
He may not appear like much on paper, but unsigned tryout Michael Nylander will be a welcomed sight at Flyers training camp beginning in late September.
Sure, at 38, his best years are clearly behind him. Having been pushed out of the NHL since 2008-09 isn’t ideal and the broken neck he suffered in October of 2010 doesn’t typically spell a recipe for future success.
However, what the veteran center does bring to training camp is an interesting variable to the seemingly set Flyers roster equation. Nylander represents possibilities, options and at worst, free competition.
As it sits, the Flyers have a bold question mark in slotted third-line center Brayden Schenn. It’s not that the 19-year-old, who turns 20 on Aug. 22, doesn’t have the skill or gumption to handle the tall task. Rather that he, ready or not, is a crutch the Flyers are forced to lean on for their prosperity as a result of the lack of options.
Without the salary cap space ($175,239 to be exact) to sign a quality pivot and allow Schenn to travel at his own pace, like Claude Giroux or James van Riemsdyk, the former Los Angeles King is set to be thrown into the NHL fire, forced to sink or swim. General manager Paul Holmgren, who was the coach of the Hartford Whalers in 1994 when they traded Nylander to the Calgary Flames, may have a plan to fit both Nylander and Schenn into the lineup by pushing the rookie to the wing. However, money would be tight and players would need to be moved to make room, making it a less likely option.
Nylander’s presence as a tryout brings on a two-pronged effect. One, suddenly Schenn has competition to work against and isn’t a complete guarantee to earn the starting job, which could motivate him. Holmgren is an advocate for positional competition and Nylander provides just that at a spot the Flyers lack depth. Second, should he jump into a roster spot, Nylander would come cheap and provide a playmaking option, juicing more production out of the wingers, while also giving the Flyers depth.
What makes Nylander’s invite so intriguing is that it comes at no cost to the Flyers. And if it works as Holmgren sees it, reuniting the Swede’s connection with Jaromir Jagr — whom he played with in New York and Washington — could be magic in a bottle.
Paired up with Jagr in 2005-06, Nylander racked up 79 points with his linemate pulling down 123. In 2006-07, Nylander had 83 points to Jagr’s 96. The two had chemistry and the Flyers are interested in seeing if there is still some left.
With Nylander and Jagr’s past success and what the center could do to enhance or support Schenn, the Flyers are in perfect position to add quality to their training camp at zero cost. And at that price, Holmgren made the right call in accepting.
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