The Blackhawks’ hopes for a breakout 2021 season from Alex Nylander are no more.
The 22-year-old forward underwent surgery Monday on a meniscus tear in his left knee, the Hawks announced Wednesday, and will miss four to six months.
“Nylander sustained a knee injury during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs,” said Dr. Michael Terry, the Hawks’ team physician, in a statement. “He initially rested and trained conservatively; unfortunately, his symptoms came back when he started to skate.”
It’s a huge obstacle in what has already been a tumultuous professional career for the former eighth overall pick, whom the Hawks controversially acquired from the Sabres in exchange for Henri Jokiharju in summer 2019.
Nylander did break out in the 2019-20 in the sense that he finally stuck in the NHL full-time, but his statistics were far from chart-topping and he often looked disengaged defensively and away from the puck.
He finished with 10 goals and 16 assists in 65 regular-season appearances. His on-ice scoring chance ratio of 47.7% ranked below-average league-wide but middle of the pack among Hawks forwards.
He then really struggled in his first postseason run, recording zero points and an abysmal 30.3% scoring chance ratio in eight appearances before being healthy scratched for Game 5 against the Golden Knights.
Nylander had nonetheless been heralded alongside the likes of Kirby Dach, Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome as part of the Hawks’ young future core this offseason by general manager Stan Bowman, promoting his rebuilding movement.
Given his age and moderate improvement last season, there was some objective optimism that Nylander could grow into a solid piece for the Hawks down the line.
Monday’s news doesn’t entirely overturn that sentiment, but it does serve as yet another step back for a player plagued by those.
