We know from experience that Denis Malgin is a skilled hockey player – at least in Europe. But can he make it in the NHL, which as he noted is the best league in the world? Or will he fail to make the Toronto Maple Leafs’ roster yet again and slide back home to Switzerland to star there?
The 25-year-old Malgin wants to play in the NHL and he’s determined to give it his best shot. As he noted, “The NHL is the best league in the world, so you always have that mind to come back.” He added clearly, “That was my goal.”
Malgin Had a Great 2021-22 Season in Zurich
Last season Malgin went home to Switzerland to hone his hockey craft. And he was successful. He was the leading scorer on last year’s Zurich Lions, playing center and scoring 21 goals and adding 31 assists (for 52 points) in 48 games. He played in every situation. During the World Championships in May, he scored 12 points.
During the Maple Leafs’ first preseason game, Malgin played on a line with William Nylander and Pontus Holmberg. He looked good. Yesterday at practice, with Adam Gaudette out with a sore shoulder, Malgin got bumped into the second line role with center John Tavares and (once again) William Nylander.
Head Coach Sheldon Keefe Liked What He’s Seen from Malgin
When Maple Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked how he thought Malgin fared with Tavares and Nylander, the word was that he “looked really good again today.”
Then Keefe was more specific, noting that Malgin “made a ton of plays. He is a confident guy at protecting the puck and getting it to others. What we have seen from him in this camp early on is an extra hunger and competitiveness to get the puck back. If you are going to be an undersized, skilled player who is going to have any success in the NHL, you have to have that intangible or it is very difficult.”
After Saturday’s game, Keefe leveled similar praise. Keefe reported that, “It seemed like every time he touched the puck, something happened.”
Keefe Recognizes that Malgin Wants to Make the Team Badly
Keefe recognizes (and appreciates) the desire and drive that Malgin has shown as he competes to win a roster spot on this Maple Leafs’ team. Specifically, Keefe suggested that (this time with Malgin, as compared to the 2019-20 season), “If there is anything about him that is different, it is that little bit of extra hunger without the puck. If you do that, you are going to get the puck on your stick a lot more. When he has the puck, he is very good.”
Where Will Malgin Land?
Coach Keefe noted in his interview after practice that, while it’s too bad that injuries happen in training camp, it’s part of the game. He noted that, prior to his injury, Gaudette was gettng the look on the second line as a winger. However, with Gaudette being out, he’s watchng “how it goes there with Malgy.”
As Keefe noted pragmatically, the “opportunity has presented itself. Malgin gets in there today, and I thought he did a good job of it.”
Now, what happens tomorrow?
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