TORONTO

He wasn’t on the ice on Monday, his No. 62 uniform packed away likely for at least a year, but William Nylander still made his final rounds of the Leafs dressing room to say so long.

A whirlwind three weeks for the 18-year-old, first-round draft pick ended when the team reassigned him, one of the final cuts at the conclusion of his first NHL training camp.

He may soon be gone —back to Sweden where he will play pro for Modo in the Swedish Elite League this season — but he won’t soon be forgotten.

“William could have played in the NHL this year, we just didn’t think it was in his long-term best interest or ours to have him here right now,” Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said of the move.

“He’s going to play in a man’s league. He’s ready to do that and he showed it at camp. He’s going to a team that has a high-end coach where they need him. He’s going to get a lot of minutes and he’s going to be put in key situations.”

He’ll also be far enough away that the temptation to rush him into a Leafs uniform will be muted. The Leafs have up until Jan. 16 to recall him (due to rules in Sweden) but don’t expect that to happen.

That’s not to say Nylander, who had a goal and an assist in six pre-season appearances, didn’t impress. His high-end skills are beyond debate, but his size and play away from the puck are still in need of development.

“Just to focus on getting stronger, do a little bit of an inventory on what you were able to accomplish here,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said when asked what his parting words of advice for the Calgary-born Swede were.

“He showed that he has the skill set to play at an NHL pace in exhibition (games). He’s got to get stronger, he’s got to find a way to score on opportunities because he had three or four breakaways.

“Just basically stay the course, not to go back there and think it’s going to be easy. It’s a tough league and he’s going to be expected to develop at a higher level.”

Nylander, naturally, was disappointed in not sticking, though he didn’t sound crushed.

“Of course you’re going to be upset when you find out you didn’t make the team,” Nylander said. “I was happy with my camp ... Just being around the NHL guys and getting used to the NHL lifestyle. You’re always learning.

“My goal is to be back here next year.”

He may be back sooner than that, too. Nylander is expected to be a potential star at the world junior championship and Team Sweden’s preliminary-round action will take place at the Air Canada Centre. ​