WASHINGTON — Alex Nylander always will be compared critically to Henri Jokiharju, the top defensive prospect the Blackhawks traded to the Sabres for the maligned forward.
Through four days of camp, however, Nylander is living up to the comparison.
‘‘I feel comfortable there on the ice,’’ he said Monday. ‘‘I feel confident.’’
Playing alongside Jonathan Toews and Anton Wedin in the Hawks’ intrasquad scrimmage Sunday, Nylander was very noticeable in possession — and he had a lot of possession.
But that was with Toews, that was an intrasquad scrimmage and that wasn’t his second full game in as many days. That’s a possible concern with Nylander, considering his reputation for inconsistency and even laziness with the Sabres.
In the preseason opener Monday, however, Nylander looked even better. He had a goal and an assist in the Hawks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Capitals.
In setting up the Hawks’ first goal, the 21-year-old winger sprang the breakout with a smart pass, then got the puck back and put the moves on a Capitals defenseman before sending a perfect saucer pass to Erik Gustafsson for a one-timer.
‘‘I felt like I couldn’t really dump it in or anything, so I turned back and saw [David] Kampf there, coming alive with speed, so I just tried to pass it to him,’’ Nylander said. ‘‘Got it back, tried to make a move, then I saw Gus waiting for the one-timer.’’
For the second goal, Nylander showcased some different offensive skills by gliding through the goalmouth and backhanding the puck home after it had landed softly on his stick after a deflection.
Coach Jeremy Colliton had said Sunday that although playing Nylander alongside Toews looked good, he wanted to see him excel in other situations, too. On a line with Kampf and Aleksi Saarela, Nylander demonstrated he could.
‘‘He made some plays,’’ Colliton said. ‘‘He definitely showed flashes where he was working away from the puck. He got above it a few times [and] caused turnovers. And when he does that, he creates opportunities for himself in transition. He’s got a great release. He went to the net on his goal, so good to see that.’’
NHLPA opts not to reopen CBA
The NHL Players’ Association announced it won’t opt to reopen the collective-bargaining agreement with the league next summer, guaranteeing it will remain in place until it expires in 2022. NHL owners had announced their decision not to reopen the CBA in late August.
That’s good news for Hawks fans hoping to avoid — or at least delay — another lockout. Still, the parties have some differences to work through, including health care, escrow payments, Olympic participation and the definition of ‘‘hockey-related revenue,’’ the Associated Press reported.
That list likely will grow by 2022, especially because league revenues are expected to rise significantly in the next three years. The NHL’s U.S. television contract with NBC expires in 2021, and the ensuing sweepstakes and deal(s) are expected to be a windfall for the league.
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