Nylander showing renewed confidence with Chicago

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2001

By Lucas Aykroyd

Today, Michael Nylander plays a key role with the Chicago Blackhawks. But the playmaking Swedish center was once regarded as a fragile commodity, physically and mentally.

When he broke into the NHL with the Hartford Whalers in 1992-93, he lacked upper body strength. He missed 15 games with a broken jaw, and the team took the opportunity to put him on an intensive weight program and a 5,000-calories-per-day diet.

But his increased bulk didn’t translate into the kind of scoring success Hartford had envisioned when they drafted him 59th overall in 1991. In 1994 they traded Nylander to Calgary in a multi-player deal, where he accounted for a paltry 6 assists in 13 career playoff games. And when he was shipped to Tampa Bay in January 1999, things had truly bottomed out for the former AIK Solna star.

But now, in his second season with the Hawks, the 28-year-old Stockholm native has found his niche in Alpo Suhonen’s system. He was named NHL Player of the Week to kick off the New Year, scoring four goals and adding three assists in three games from 1 to 7 January. He’s on pace to better his numbers from last year (24-30-54). Chicago assistant coach Denis Savard, a legendary playmaker himself, isn’t surprised.

“First off, he’s very skilled,” Savard told EuroReport recently. “Michael is the type of person where you need to let him play his style, and I think our team has fit his style this season. One-on-one, he’s deadly. He can do a lot of things with the puck. His confidence has grown over the last couple of years, and he’s in his prime right now. He’s a mature player. He’s been around for a long time, and I think that’s a big reason why he’s having success.”

Part of maturity is adaptability, and Nylander has shown he’s prepared to play wherever the coach needs him. Recently, he started manning the point on the Hawks power play, a spot he last occupied six years ago with the Swedish national team. He posted two assists in a 6-2 road victory over the Vancouver Canucks on 28 January 2001.

“We’ve gotten back to .500 and then we had a three-game losing streak, but we got back to winning today,” Nylander said afterwards. “We lost some key guys to injuries. But we’ve gotten our new lines adjusted, and we have to play as well without them as we did with them. We just have to be more conservative and play smarter with the puck, not making risky plays, and score on our chances.”

Nylander often finds himself playing at his best when he’s teamed up with ex-Toronto winger Steve Sullivan. The two have combined for more than 200 points since they joined the Blackhawks in late 1999.

“We find each other out there for scoring chances, and we’ve been putting the puck in the net. Also, the coach believes in us, and we’ve been getting a lot of ice time, five-on-five or four-on-four. It feels good. We have to keep it going.”

It’s all about confidence. That’s something Vancouver captain Markus Naslund, like Nylander, struggled with in the past. Nylander has played with Naslund five times on Team Sweden. He couldn’t be happier to see his old mate topping the NHL goal-scoring derby.

“When he left Sweden, he was a great player with MoDo,” said Nylander. “He came over here and got off to the wrong start, I guess. The coaches didn’t play him and he got put into different roles, got traded, and had a tough, tough time. But he stuck with it and believed in himself, and now he’s the leading scorer and a great leader for his team. I think he’s an awesome captain for that team. He has great hands and shoots well and works hard all over the ice. He’s now playing the same way as he did the first time we played together. Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting the ice time and confidence from the coach.”

Nylander certainly won’t be on the sidelines when it comes to the 2002 Olympics. The 6-1, 193-pound forward has had some of his greatest success in international hockey, including the 1997 World Championships, where he was named the tournament’s best forward.

“I got to play in the Olympics last time, and it was a great experience,” said Nylander. “I think Sweden will have a really good hockey team and compete for the top medals.”

But for now? He’s only got one thing on his mind with the Hawks.

“Our goal is to make the playoffs, of course. We have a limited goal to be .500 before the All-Star break. After the break, we have to keep chasing a playoff spot. With this team, we believe we can do it.”