Snapshots: Nylander, Walker, Philp

The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Alex Nylander down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, per a team release. Nylander was called up on an emergency basis as Bryan Rust and Mikael Granlund were out of the lineup. The Swedish winger helped the Pens storm back from a 4-0 deficit to the Columbus Blue Jackets by picking up an assist on the team’s first goal in an eventual 5-4 overtime victory. It was Nylander’s first NHL game of the season.

The 25-year-old winger is having a tremendous season in the AHL. He has piled up 25 goals and 50 points in 54 games for the minor-league Penguins, leading the team in goals and points. He hadn’t played a game in the NHL since the 2020-21 season, when he scored ten goals and 26 points in 65 games for the Chicago Blackhawks.

• The Minnesota Wild announced they have called up forward Sammy Walker from the Iowa Wild. This comes shortly after announcing star winger Kirill Kaprizov will be out of the lineup for 3-4 weeks with a lower-body injury. Walker is a 24-year-old center who has scored 24 goals and 44 points in 50 AHL games this season. He has also played six NHL games already in Minnesota this season, adding one goal in that time.
• The Chicago Blackhawks announced forward Luke Philp has signed a one-year contract extension. The 27-year-old forward starred for the University of Alberta Golden Bears for three seasons before signing to play in the AHL. This is his fourth season in the AHL, and he is putting up big numbers with 18 goals and 38 points in 45 games for the Rockford Ice Hogs. He was called up earlier this season to make his NHL debut with the Blackhawks and picked up his first career NHL point with an assist in a pair of games.