Maple Leafs Announce Several Roster Moves

Earlier this afternoon the Toronto Maple Leafs shared several roster moves: Benoit-Olivier Groulx has been assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, while a number of players have been recalled from the farm club on an emergency basis. Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, forwards Luke Haymes and Ryan Tverberg, and defenseman William Villeneuve have all joined the Leafs ahead of their game at the Islanders. 

A number of Maple Leafs are banged up, and with games inconsequential at this point, they have little to lose in giving a look at some younger players. Out of the bunch, Akhtyamov and Haymes are in the lineup, while Tverberg and Villeneuve were not needed tonight after all.

Headed back down, Groulx made a name for himself quickly, as he’s led the Marlies in scoring with 27 tallies in 55 games in 2025-26. A former notable Ducks prospect drafted in the second round, the French center provided a spark with five points in his first six games as a Leaf in early March. He’s since been scoreless in seven straight, despite a decent share of usage. With just three games left on the schedule, Toronto may leave Groulx to stay down as a top AHL contributor. 

Akhtyamov, 24, made his NHL debut in December where he made five saves in just 10:32 of action. Tonight presents a taller task, as he’ll have to backstop the Leafs against a desperate Islanders club in new head coach Peter DeBoer’s debut. 

Chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, the Russian has gotten a steady dose of action with the Marlies over the past two seasons, posting a save percentage over the .900 mark across 62 regular season games. As part of a thin pool, Akhtyamov has been referenced as a top 10 prospect which would not be the case in some other organizations. Sitting behind fellow 24-year-old Dennis Hildeby, and with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll locked up for the foreseeable future, he faces a long road toward his projected upside as a NHL backup. 

Up front, it’ll be a memorable night for Haymes, as he’s making his NHL debut. Centering the third line, the 22-year-old was undrafted out of Dartmouth College, catching on with Toronto and taking a step forward with 32 points in 64 games with the Marlies this year. 

As a do-it-all forward in the Marlies’ middle six, the 6’1” lefty would hope to follow a Bobby McMann type of development curve, eventually becoming a surprise NHL contributor. Even if a 20-goal output isn’t on the horizon though, Haymes has the skillset to be a depth bottom sixer at the NHL level, having progressed nicely this season. 

Villeneuve, 24, is also a fourth rounder of Toronto’s 2020 draft class. Over the past four years the 6’2” lefty has put up strong offensive numbers with the Marlies, including a 40-point effort in 55 games last season, but he’s still awaiting his NHL debut. A restricted free agent this summer, he’d certainly enjoy an opportunity to showcase his strong skating and offensive instincts, but even if it doesn’t come, Villeneuve is a valuable AHLer. 

Rounding out the bunch, Tverberg shares the distinction of being a 2020 draftee, although his name wasn’t called until the seventh round. The former University of Connecticut standout has put together a solid season in the AHL with 32 points in 61 games, impressive for any player drafted 213th overall. The Ontario native has blistering speed, crucial for any energy forward hopeful, and similar to Villeneuve, an NHL appearance would go a long way before contract expiration shortly. 

After tonight’s action on Long Island, Toronto is off until Saturday as they’ll host Florida. That’s likely enough time for their roster to heal up, leaving the group to return to the Marlies, who have secured a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs and therefore will be needing them back.