Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Marlies Echo, Kampf’s Crossroads & Patience

Head coach Craig Berube has preached resilience since camp, and you can see that mindset filtering down through the system. Coincidence? Maybe. But when two Toronto teams erase 3–0 deficits against the same franchise in the same week, it feels like something more.

Item Two: The Marlies — A Team in Transition

Speaking about this year’s Marlies, they don’t look like last season’s crew. Twelve players from that opening lineup are gone, replaced by a mix of career AHLers, late draft picks, and a few undrafted hopefuls. It’s a veteran-heavy group — Alex Nylander just played his 400th AHL game, Logan Shaw is 33 — and the Marlies’ average age is the highest in the league. They’ve been hovering around .500, sitting at 4-4-1, but this season’s real goal isn’t standings. It’s sorting out identity.

If there’s a bright spot, it’s on defence. Henry Thrun, Matt Benning, and Dakota Mermis (who played with the big club the other day) bring NHL experience, while William Villeneuve and the injured Marshall Rifai look ready to push for more. The goaltending trio of Dennis Hildeby, Artur Akhtyamov, and Vyacheslav Peksa gives them depth most AHL clubs would envy. What the Marlies don’t have — yet — is scoring touch. That will be their uphill climb all season.

Item Three: Scoring Shortfalls — Where the Marlies Struggle

When your top offensive threats are long-time AHL veterans, you’re probably going to be in a lot of tight games. Outside of Nylander and Shaw, there’s no obvious go-to scorer. That lack of firepower means the Marlies have to rely on team defence and goaltending to grind out wins. It’s not pretty, but it’s honest hockey, and that might be the point. It could be the kind of pipeline coach Berube wants to build.

For Marlies head coach John Gruden, the task isn’t about lighting up the scoreboard. It’s about finding which players can adapt, battle, and push through a grind. This year’s team may not dominate, but it could produce a few players who learn what it really takes to reach the next level and contribute once they get there.

Item Four: David Kampf: Maple Leafs Veteran in Limbo

Then there’s David Kampf. He’s an eight-year NHL veteran, suddenly skating in the minors for the first time since 2018. He’s got to be frustrated. He’s worked hard to stay in the NHL, and I’ve even written about his 290-game ironman streak. Now he’s riding buses again. Still, he’s making $2.4 million a year and playing the game he loves. Perspective helps.

Every other team passed on him when he cleared waivers, so a trade seems unlikely. The best outcome for everyone might be for Kampf to embrace his new role. He’s always been a steadying presence. Now, could he become a mentor and leader for the Marlies’ young forwards? It’s not the NHL spotlight, but it’s still meaningful work. Who knows, like Rich Clune once did, it could define the next stage of his career.

The Marlies and Maple Leafs Are Working Together This Season to Build a Stronger Foundation

Between the Marlies’ rebuild and Kampf’s reset, Toronto’s development system seems to be in transition. There’s some frustration, but also quiet potential. The defence looks solid, the goaltending steady, and the lessons being learned now could pay off later.

It might not be a highlight-reel season, but it’s a foundational one — the kind that builds the habits, confidence, and chemistry an organization needs when the big club starts dreaming bigger.

[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]