With the hockey world on Christmas break and closing in on the halfway point of the season, the picture of where things stand in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization has begun to come into focus.
The parent club is one of the eight in the league with an under .500 record (12-14-7), tied for 27th place in the NHL standings and nine points out of an Eastern Conference wild card spot.
That position is unlikely to improve in the New Year, as GM Lou Lamoriello begins to field offers for players with short-term or expiring contracts (PA Parenteau, James Reimer and Roman Polak) or having career years (Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov) for prospects and draft picks.
The Marlies enter the break atop the AHL with a 23-5-2 record and 19-year-old William Nylander leading the league in scoring with 34 points.
Toronto has four players (Nylander, TJ Brennan, Mark Arcobello and Josh Leivo) in the top 15 and have maintained their torrid pace in spite of losing ’15 leading scorer Connor Brown in late October with a foot injury and having to use six goaltenders.
The Leafs being a seller at the deadline could affect the Marlies down the stretch, as a mass exodus on the NHL roster would necessitate call ups from the AHL to fill roster spots.
Based on the focus on development put forth by Team President Brendan Shanahan and Assistant GM Kyle Dubas, the spot fillers for the Leafs will not be younger players like Nylander, Brendan Leipsic, Scott Harrington and Kasperi Kapanen but veterans such as Arcobello, Richard Panik, Richard Clune and Matt Frattin.
2014 first rounders Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander are two key components to a Toronto Marlies Calder Cup run next spring.
Image courtesy of Christian Bonin at TSGPhoto
Nylander and a few youngsters may get a brief taste of the NHL at the end of the season, but not an extended look that would use up the first year of an entry-level deal or move a player a year closer to free agency.
Unlike 2012, when experienced AHLers like Mike Zigomanis, Ryan Hamilton, Greg Scott and Phillippe Dupuis were the core of Dallas Eakins Calder Cup finalists, rookie coach Sheldon Keefe has focused on giving prospects more responsibility and used veterans as support players.
Once Arcobello, Panik, Frattin and others are called up, they would have to clear waivers to return to the AHL for the Calder Cup Playoffs, which means that the returning Brown, Kapanen, Russian import Nikita Soshnikov and first year AHLer’s Zach Hyman and Frederik Gauthier would have to take on more prominent roles to maintain their winning ways.
The Marlies may be in line for some reinforcements in March and April, depending on the length of some their prospect’s post-seasons.
Morgan Rielly was free to join the Marlies in 2013 after the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors season ended and that could be the case with 2015 draftees Mitch Marner, Travis Dermott, Andrew Nielsen or Dmytro Timashov, who are all signed to entry-level deals.
Another potential addition could be 2013 seventh rounder Andreas Johnson, who is having another impressive offensive season with Frolunda. The SHL playoffs start in March and ends in April and once Frolunda has completed their season, the 20-year-old winger could head to North America.
The Norfolk Admirals core group that defeated the Marlies in 2012 included last year’s Cup finalists Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn and the 2013 Champion Grand Rapids Griffins included current Red Wings Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Petr Mrazek.
A Calder Cup championship is not a guarantee of future success with the Leafs, but it could provide a valuable experience for those Marlies looking to make their make in the NHL over the next few seasons.
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