Toronto Marlies Prospects: Who could make an impact with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

With the Toronto Maple Leafs stuck in a nightmare season, answers for improvement must come from everywhere. Of course, free agency and trades might factor into a potential turnaround, but so too will the development of prospects.

Often, the league’s most exciting prospects are outside the AHL, but these prospects might be the closest to NHL action. Perhaps the secret to an improved NHL roster lies within the AHL lineup. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Toronto Marlies, how their season has gone, and which players might be relevant to the NHL conversation next season.

Already arrived?

Several Marlies regulars have made appearances this season, be it in a game or in the press box. Aside from the elevated pay in the NHL, there is an added element of exposure, too. By no means is a roster spot, or even another call-up, next season a given, though.

To some extent, the Leafs issues can be linked to a reluctance to trust young players with legitimate roles. In particular, power wingers have had a difficult time finding a regular spot on the Auston Matthews-era Leafs. These types of players are quite valuable, and to make matters worse, the Leafs have seen several former Marlies blossom into regular NHLers elsewhere.

From Mason Marchment to Justin Brazeau, or more recently Alex Steeves and Pontus Holmberg, the Leafs seem to be too reluctant to trust players coming up through their own system. This trend continued this season, even after being eliminated from the playoff picture.

Empowering the youth and depth of the roster might go a long way towards fixing the team, both in terms of skill and attitude. The Leafs have often undervalued less heralded players, perhaps reflecting the perceived attitude of entitlement that many fans have begun to resent. Perhaps the following players, essentially on the cusp of regular NHL action, can help turn things around.

Young centres

It is especially intriguing to consider that the Leafs have two young centres in the mix here. To an extent, their play styles are different enough to provide the team with options. Both were college free agents signed by the Leafs, a story that might help shift the narrative of the team as a whole.

Jacob Quillan is often described as a defensive presence. Though not the biggest, Quillan plays a smart game and put up really strong production in the AHL this season. His hockey sense does make him a solid playmaker, though his path to a regular NHL role comes from his 200-foot play, not his offensive prowess.

Quillan has found his way into a bunch of NHL games this season, though he has often been sheltered in extremely limited minutes. Quillan has not exactly stood out, but given his icetime and his style of play, this is not too troubling. Perhaps with some experience, a good summer of training, and a more regular shift, Quillan could prove to be a valuable contributor in the bottom-six next season.

Despite similar sizes, Luke Haymes plays a heavier game and is far more of a goal scorer than a playmaker. Haymes is able to win battles in tight spaces, which certainly helps his chances of progressing up. Able to make space for himself at the net front, Haymes has really heated up in the second half of his AHL rookie season, offering hope for a steep upward trajectory.

Haymes is a year younger than Quillan, and his game might better translate to the NHL. For this reason, his lesser production in the AHL this season is not a big concern. The best-case scenario is that both are battling for spots in next season’s training camp.

Goalies

Leafs fans will be familiar with both Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov. Given the injury concerns of both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, this organizational depth is quite soothing.

At this point, Hildeby has more NHL experience and looked quite strong in the NHL this season. Hildeby has the size that NHL teams covet at the position and has strung together several seasons of positive momentum at this point. The theme of a lack of trust continues, as the Leafs opted to try out Cayden Primeau earlier this season rather than giving their own prospects, namely Hildeby, a chance out of the gate.

Akhtyamov has had the better AHL performance this season, and both goalies have progressed in encouraging fashion over the past few years. A relatively smaller goalie, Akhtyamov must rely on superior reflexes and technique to have a chance. He has been trending in the right direction.

Whether or not the Leafs trade away any of their goalies this offseason remains to be seen, but at the very least, they have options to backfill the net regardless. Waivers will soon become a factor, and teams around the league might be keen on the strength of the Leafs system here.

The journeyman

Fans have gotten a glimpse of Benoit-Olivier Groulx, who has impressed in his time with the Leafs this season. He is, admittedly, too old to be considered a prospect by most. Still, there is some reason to believe the best lies ahead for Groulx.

Once considered a reasonable prospect, Groulx puttered out in a rebuilding Anaheim Ducks organization. When teams are going through multi-year rebuilds, this can happen, as a yearly influx of talent can leave some prospects lost in the shuffle. Overtaken by younger, more productive options, Groulx seemed blocked from getting an NHL chance.

A rebound season in the AHL last year, Groulx put himself back on the map. He showed that his declining statistics were more about his place in the Ducks organization than his talent. It would not be the first time that the Leafs found some talent cast off by the Ducks, as Simon Benoit had a similar story.

The best-case scenario might be similar to Benoit’s as well. Groulx could be ready to be an everyday NHLer next season, and would be a very affordable option lower in the lineup.

Intriguing futures

There are a couple of options that are more significant, but further away. For now, these two defencemen might be the prospects with the most upside on the Marlies. They might not be elite prospects, but they do have a chance to become staples of the NHL lineup in the seasons ahead.

Noah Chadwick

Noah Chadwick is top of mind here. The big left-shot defenceman has been playing his weak side of late, which is impressive in its own right, let alone as an AHL rookie. His production does not seem impressive at first glance, but the context is important.

Chadwick has been scoring at a decent rate throughout the season as a whole, around a similar rate as older offensive specialists William Villeneuve and Henry Thrun. His production becomes more impressive given their timing, as Chadwick has really picked up the pace in the second half of the season.

There is certainly a lot to like about Chadwick’s offensive talent, but often he is described more as a defensive presence. Naturally, his size has a lot to do with this. Still, Chadwick is not necessarily a punishing defender as much as his frame might suggest. The skating might be the biggest concern, but there is a lot of legitimate skill on both sides of the puck for Chadwick.

An encouraging step for next season would be for Chadwick to step up as one of the Marlies leading defenders. If he can impress and log a big workload, as well as some growth in his production, it will not be long before he becomes known to a wider audience. It would be too soon to expect him to push for a spot out of training camp next season; however, he could really gain attention if he finds himself playing with Ben Danford for the Marlies next season.

Blake Smith

Blake Smith is not nearly as highly touted as Chadwick, and most would say that he does not have as much upside. Still, there is a lot to like about Smith’s game, and he has been impactful as a rookie. A theme among Brad Treliving’s additions, Smith is big. There is more to like, as Smith is quite physical and has some solid skating ability.

It must be acknowledged that there are limitations to Smith’s game. He will not be scoring his way into the NHL, and so there should not be a huge factor in assessing his readiness. While Chadwick might be able to gain some traction towards a call-up next season, a longer-term view must be held with Smith. Still, it must be acknowledged that Smith had an impressive season.

Now or never

The last category of Marlies to discuss is players who are not seen to have much upside and are reaching beyond the point of being considered prospects. Still, there is some intrigue, as these players might be as close as they will get to challenging for an NHL role. A big part of whether they can or not might depend on context, the Leafs roster and its holes, or the coaches taking a liking to them.

Ryan Tverberg

Known for his speed and two-way sensibilities, Ryan Tverberg has had some interesting moments as a prospect. Unfortunately, there have also been some disappointing dry spells. While not the biggest body, Tverberg can battle. He likely will not drive offence himself, but has enough quality that he can contribute.

Making sense of his production stems from this point. Tverberg has bounced around the Marlies lineup over the years, playing at the wing and centre up and down the lineup. While he projects as a winger, the positional flexibility speaks to his smarts. The production has ebbed and flowed with his place in the lineup.

Cade Webber

A big, left-shot, shutdown defenceman, Webber has yet to really progress in the AHL. His offensive stats will not jump off the page. While not the most punishing presence, Webber uses his frame to break up passes and block shots.

With other big defensive defencemen in the system, especially Blake Smith, Webber is in danger of being passed over. At the same time, his age and his sound defensive game might make him a call-up option next season.

William Villeneuve

The Marlies’ most polished offensive defenceman, William Villeneuve, has continued to improve. As a right shot, Villeneuve’s handedness and style of play make him an interesting piece for the Leafs system. A need for offence or a change in philosophy might lead to more opportunity for Villeneuve.

The defensive game might be a bit suspect, but perhaps his defence partner could help in that area. A pairing with Simon Benoit, for example, might make sense. Having worked his way up from the ECHL, there has been significant progress over the years. Training camp will be huge for making an impression on the Leafs coaches, or else Villeneuve might be stuck as an offensive AHL option.