2014 NHL Draft Watch: William Nylander
By Robert Nasso
Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
In anticipation of the Sharks’ 2014 NHL Draft selection, we will be highlighting the top 30 prospects over the next few weeks.
Name: William Nylander Altelius
Position: Center/Right Wing
Handedness: Right
Current Team: Rogle BK (Allsvenskan)
Jersey Number: 19
Height: 5’11″
Weight: 169 lbs.
Birthdate: 5/1/1996
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The son of former NHL center Michael, William Nylander was born in Calgary when his father was playing for the city’s local team, the Calgary Flames. He now plays alongside his father for Rogle BK in the Swedish league Allsvenskan, where he has scored 8 pts (4G, 4A) through 18 GP this season so far. William has had an international hockey career, having played for a U-16 team in Chicago, Illinois from 2010-2011. For the 2011-2012 season, William returned to Sweden when his father signed a contract with a Swedish team. In a unique father-son teammate situation, William and Michael seized the opportunity to play together starting in the 2012-2013 season and have been playing together ever since.
William represented Sweden in the 2013 Ivan Hlinka tournament where he scored 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points in 4 GP. He was also a plus-1 throughout the tournament.
Nylander was recently loaned to MODO (SHL) for 10 games (in which he scored 2 assists) and expressed interest in staying with the club, however his loan period expired on December 11 and he returned to Rogle BK. Elite Prospects has this report on the young Swede:
"A highly skilled player offensively. Nylander skates very well, has impressive hands and is excellent at handling the puck at high speeds. Hockey sense is very impressive and he likes to shoot the puck a lot, but is also capable of delivering perfect passes. A very agile player that protects the puck well and skates hard in the offensive zone."
With a great mentor and current teammate in his father Michael, William Nylander is sure to have a strong season before the 2014 NHL draft where he is expected to be a top-10 pick. Additionally, with Canadian roots and having played in both the US and Sweden, Nylander is guaranteed to carry on his father’s name at the NHL level someday.