The Toronto Marlies’ 2024-25 season promised a lot early but ultimately delivered little.
Toronto raced out of the blocks in October, winning six of seven games (6-0-1). Five of those wins came on home ice, where the Marlies went unbeaten until December 15. The winning form continued, and by the time 2024 came to a close, Toronto sat atop the North Division with a 17-5-5 record.
Warning sirens sounded at the start of the new year. The Marlies began 2025 by losing four consecutive games, conceding 15 goals in the process.
Toronto bounced back to finish January with a 7-6-0 record, but the recovery was short-lived. In the 32 games through February, March, and April, the Marlies recorded just 13 victories, four of which were achieved in the final five games as Toronto scrambled into a playoff berth.
Various factors were at play in the Marlies‘ fall from grace, starting with their incessant slow-start habit. They ranked 29th in first-period goals, scoring only 47 times in the opening frame. The middle frame wasn’t much more productive (67 goals, ranked 24th).
Head coach John Gruden and captain Logan Shaw often lauded the team for its resilience, but there are only so many times they could go to the well for heroic comebacks. Relying on outscoring defensive breakdowns, exceptional goaltending performances, and first-rate special teams in the first half of the season was not a recipe for sustainable success.
The Marlies‘ special teams were hot to begin the season, especially the penalty kill, which was a perfect 26-for-26 through October. With the power play clicking at 25% at the same time, the overall special teams advantage was bound to return to earth, to some degree.
The percentages at the turn of the year dipped slightly by the end of the campaign, but the power play still ranked 12th at a respectable 19%, while the PK finished ninth-best at 84.3%. The biggest difference is that Toronto went from one of the least penalized teams to finishing with 274 penalties, the third most in the league.
The Marlies’ inability to win games in regulation also cost the team in the standings. Only eight teams in the AHL recorded fewer regulations win than the 25 Toronto compiled.
The North Division was highly competitive but below the standard of the previous seasons. Toronto’s overall record against division opponents was a substandard 18-16-8, and the situation was worse if we dig deeper. Eliminating the results against non-playoff teams (Belleville and Utica), the Marlies went 10-13-5 against Cleveland, Laval, Rochester, and Syracuse. This record went a long way toward the team’s fourth-place finish, necessitating the dreaded play-in, best-of-three series.
A franchise-high 24 games ended in overtime or the shootout, as Toronto didn’t score nearly enough goals during the regular season. Logan Shaw (12G/30) and Joseph Blandish (15G/20A) experienced a huge drop-off in production from the year before, after leading the team with a combined 55 goals and 117 points last season. The lack of an adequate replacement for Kieffer Bellows (27G/22A) also hurt the Marlies in the goals column. Even an outstanding contribution by Alex Steeves in a record-breaking season, aided by 23 goals from Alex Nylander, wasn’t enough to make up the deficit.
For the second successive season, Toronto’s season ended with defeat in the play-in round:
- Game 1: The Marlies gave a goal back quickly after taking an early lead before relying on a heroic comeback — scoring twice in the final three minutes — to force overtime. A defensive breakdown in the extra frame allowed Cleveland to take a 1-0 lead on home ice.
- Game 2: Toronto took a 2-0 lead four minutes into the middle frame. By the time the second-intermission buzzer sounded, the Marlies trailed 3-2. A Robert Mastrosimone penalty shot tied the game to force overtime. Despite some chances to clinch a victory, a defensive breakdown in the second overtime ended Toronto’s season.
John Gruden’s second season as head coach was ultimately as disappointing as the first in terms of results and the failure to make any waves in the playoffs. That said, there was some nice growth by the limited prospects on the roster, including the departed Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten. It wouldn’t be totally shocking if Toronto moved on from Gruden, but I’d be equally unsurprised if the organization opts for continuity behind the bench for at least one more season.
The Three Stars of the Toronto Marlies’ 2024-25 Season
In an ultimately disappointing season for the Toronto Marlies, a lengthy list of players fell short of expectations, including some key veterans who vastly underperformed.
Before I dive into my three stars, I want to throw in some caveats. If Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten weren’t traded, both would likely have been in this conversation. Russian netminder Artur Akhtyamov made an outstanding contribution in the first half of the season before an injury and the loss of confidence that followed derailed his campaign. When Alex Nylander was hot, he burned brightest of all, but unfortunately, he was stone-cold far too often when it mattered most.
Third Star: William Villeneuve
The lack of production from the blue line was one of the many issues this season for the Marlies. Only two defensemen broke the 20-point mark, and the man leading the way was William Villenueve. Noted for his playmaking and production in the QMJHL, it took until this season for the fourth-round draft selection in 2020 to showcase his offensive talents at the professional level.
The now-23-year-old appeared in only eight games through October and November due to injury and registered a single assist in those contests, but then came a December turnaround. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native’s goal and 10 assists in 10 games went a long way in helping Toronto finish the calendar year atop the North Division.
In the remaining 37 games, Villenueve recorded 26 points (2G/24A). He posted career-high numbers in goals (4), assists (36), points (40), and shots (97) through 55 games. He was one of only six Marlies players to register 20 (or more) points at five-on-five, with 50% of his production coming during regulation action.
Villenueve quarter-backed the power play’s number-one unit and had a direct hand in over 30% of the team’s success with the extra skater. He will never be an overpowering physical defender, but he was much more engaged physically this season and won more puck battles along the walls.
During the second half of the season, Villenueve looked as comfortable and confident as we’ve seen him when completing breakout passes and making decisions to join the rush. It probably spoke to a combination of experience, maturity, and trust from the coaching staff.
Villeneuve needs a new contract as an RFA this offseason, but the 6’2, 183-pound right-shot showed enough progress in 2024-25 to warrant an extension in Toronto. A right-shot defenseman who can pair some size with puck-moving skill and offensive ability is worth remaining patient with.
Second Star: Jacob Quillan
Following a very impressive start to Jacob Quillan’s professional career at the backend of the 2023-24 campaign, I had higher-than-normal expectations for a lower-end prospect and 22-year-old rookie (now 23).
The 2024-25 season was a work in progress. Quillan bounced around the lineup after the opening weekend and struggled to produce offense. Despite registering just a pair of assists in the following 19 games, there were subtle signs of improvement in his all-around game, which led to an offensive outburst in December.
Quillan potted six points in as many games (2G/4A), all at five-on-five, as he flourished with a newfound confidence in front of goal. Continuing his strong form into the new year, Quillan earned his first NHL recall and debut; it was ultimately the result of a mini-injury crisis for the big club, but it was also a reward for Quillan’s improving play.
The centerman finished 20th in scoring among all AHL rookies and sixth on the Toronto Marlies with 37 points (18G/19A). More impressively, Quillan was second on the Marlies in five-on-five points (26), scoring 12 goals and 10 primary assists at evens. His ability to drive play and generate high-quality scoring chances at five-on-five stood out on a team that often struggled to score at even strength.
Only Alex Steeves finished the campaign with more five-on-five goals than Quillan, and the aforementioned All-Star paid the following compliment to his rookie teammate:
“He’s probably one of our more consistent forwards at getting in the blue paint and really getting in there and having those net-front goals, which are what I consider playoff goals and really sustainable offense.”
Craig Berube was similarly impressed when asked about Quillan‘s strengths: “Speed, strength, and a very good skater. In camp and in the games, I thought he had a pretty good hockey IQ. He is a penalty-killing and checking type of player. I love his speed and his strength.”
Quillan’s two-way game is impressive for a player so inexperienced at the pro level. Even when he isn’t producing, Quillan is positionally sound, defensively responsible, and uses his foot speed effectively to close down time and space for the opposition. He grew into his frame after adapting to the professional game, playing with a physical edge, winning more than his fair share of puck battles, and driving the net with courage.
Gruden felt comfortable enough to trust the rookie with penalty-killing duties, where he takes time and space away from opposing power plays with his speed and is smart and courageous about getting his body into shooting lanes.
Quillan took full advantage of his extra ice time and responsibilities when Fraser Minten was in the NHL and was later traded to Boston. Also impressive was the rookie’s versatility to successfully fit in with different linemates; he enjoyed a lot of success alongside Nikita Grebenkin and Matthew Barbolini, but later in the year, he combined well with Steeves and Roni Hirvonen higher in the lineup.
Quillan will enter the final season of his entry-level contract in 2025-26, hoping to build on his 2024-25 momentum by pushing for playing time at the NHL level.
First Star: Alex Steeves
As if you didn’t know?
There was little more that Alex Steeves could have achieved this year except single-handedly hoisting the Marlies to playoff success. Sadly, even he couldn’t outscore the team’s underlying issues.
Steeves led the Marlies with career-highs in goals (36) and points (62) while playing only 59 games. After leading the AHL goal charts for most of the campaign, he finished second in the category and eighth in points.
Steeves set new franchise all-time points (216) and goals (105) records while tying Johnny Pohl for the single-season goal record. He netted 13 power-play goals (tied for second in AHL), but he was far more than a power-play mercenary. He led Toronto in five-on-five scoring (29), finishing tied for 20th among all AHL skaters in five-on-five primary points in just 59 games. Only four other players scored more than Steeves’ 19 five-on-five goals during the 2024-25 campaign.
More than his goals and points, Steeves revamped his overall game to a new level. His commitment to playing a more physical brand of hockey contrasted with what we’d seen previously from him in the AHL. Steeves also took more pride in the defensive side of the game; he blocked shots, finished his checks, killed penalties, and took on more of a leadership role on the ice.
That Steeves could produce career-high numbers in the process speaks to his commitment to taking the next step in what was a make-or-break season for the winger. Whether it’ll be enough for the Group-6 UFA to crack an NHL lineup next season is up for debate, but there is no doubt that Steeves was the brightest star for the Marlies this season.
