William Nylander, the eighth pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, signed an entry-level contract Monday with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced. Financial terms were not disclosed.
"Not only does William Nylander bring a high level of speed and skill to his game but he has a very strong character on and off the ice," Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said. "We believe he has a very bright future and are happy to have him signed to his first NHL contract."
Nylander, 18, was named the Maple Leafs' top prospect by NHL.com.
"He's a dynamic player with a high-end skill set," Maple Leafs director of player development Jim Hughes said. "His edges, his explosion, his acceleration, along with his hand speed. He's a really talented kid. During the prospect camp week we got the opportunity to know him as a person. He's very detailed, he's very motivated. And he's a wonderful kid that's been parented correctly. He's an impressive hockey player, but he's an impressive person as well."
Nylander, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, had one goal and six assists in seven games with Modo in the Swedish Hockey League last season. He also played with Sodertalje and Rogle in Sweden's second division; with Rogle his teammate was his father, former NHL player Michael Nylander.
William had 16 points in seven games for Sweden at the 2014 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, and led all players at the tournament in points, assists (10) and plus/minus (plus-8), being named the tournament's best forward.
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