Marlies head coach John Gruden outlines expectations, 1st impressions heading into Prospect Showdown

It can be an overlooked component of the preseason, but the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospects are entering a two-game tournament over the weekend with a chance of making a further impression on the professional club.

John Gruden, head coach of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies will be overseeing the 26-man group and spoke to reporters Friday following practice at the Ford Performance Centre, outlining his expectations for the 2025 Prospect Showdown. Toronto squares off against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, before taking on the host Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

There are varied expectations for the 26 players on the roster. Easton Cowan is on the precipice of making an NHL roster, while the 2025 NHL Draft class are getting their first experiences with a professional prospects tournament.

“Well, I think any time you jump in front of somebody for the first time, their first impressions mean a lot,” Gruden said. “There’s certain things that as an identity is, what’s going to stick out to everyone is the way they approach every workout, every practice, how they compete, how they’re getting involved, and how they’re making each other better. I think all the players have done a great job so far as we started this camp.”

Gruden said he’d likely split starts between Vyacheslav Peksa and Artur Akhtyamov but has yet to confirm his plans.

Throughout the summer and leading into camp, Toronto’s prospects have been around various regulars on the NHL squad, including Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. Gruden spoke about the importance of having established Maple Leafs around to provide the next generation of players with some comfort and familiarity, before training camp fully kicks off.

“I think it’s important,” Gruden said. “The guys have been around here for a long time, and it’s like a family. And I think regardless if they don’t make it or do make it, it’s important for those guys. It’s pretty classy for them to take their time and make them feel comfortable, because the more comfortable they feel, we’re going to get the best version of that player, by them being the way they are. So we thank them for that.”

Cowan, Luke Haymes, Borya Valis and Jacob Quillan are among the Leafs prospects who should know what to expect entering the Prospects Showdown. For players like 2025 third-round pick Tyler Hopkins, it’s an entirely new experience. Cowan, Qullian and Valis operated as Toronto’s first line during Friday’s practice and were a half-step above the rest of the competition.

Gruden mentioned Valis and Haymes quickly learning last year to the pace of North American professional hockey, and how it may set a precedent for the newer players on the roster.

“There’s a lot of good players in the American Hockey League, and they’re big and they’re strong, and they realize how much little time and space you have,” Gruden said. “So just by them coming in last year, it makes a big difference, just like Hopkins. For him to see it for the first time, it’s a little overwhelming, but he also seems like he’s a really smart player who understands what he’s going to have to work on as he moves forward with his strength. And it’s just he’s young. He’s still not fully He’s an 18-year-old young man, so he’s got room to grow, but he definitely has something. As you can see, he’s got some high hockey IQ.”