Preseason is over, and now we await the final roster moves across the league before the real games begin.
At the end of last week, we recorded a podcast where we went through each player on the NHL team. Given the timing, we didn’t get to talk about the other depth players and prospects in the organization, as it probably would have doubled the episode’s length. Ahead of the season, I wanted to take some time to share notes on the rest of the group that isn’t starting with the Leafs.
First Call-Ups
This group contains a mix of players with baseline NHL experience and top players at their positions on the Marlies, such as Artur Akhtyamov. Given that NHL teams tend to use upwards of 40 players per season, we should almost certainly see these individuals dress for the Leafs at some point over the new 84-game schedule.
Steven Lorentz
It was pretty telling that Lorentz started the preseason playing just 9:16 on a line with Quillan and MacEwan—that doesn’t exactly scream, “I am tenured, with one foot in the door.” He didn’t really do anything in the first preseason game to force the coach to play him more. In the second game, though, he played with Blueger and Duhaime and showed really well on the Leafs’ one veteran NHL line in Ottawa against a reasonable Senators roster. Lorentz scored in the game and was third among all Leafs forwards in ice time on the night. We know what Lorentz is, and what he isn’t, at this rate.
Artur Akhtyamov
I completely understand why he didn’t play in the second set of split-squad games, but it was unfortunate that he was essentially left out to dry in his one half-game appearance and then didn’t see the net again. Akhtyamov was the only reason the Leafs were even in that game in Montreal by the time he tagged out. It was a promising showing, and he’s clearly the number three in the organization following an MVP playoff performance in the AHL. I don’t even think he has real competition; his game would have to fall off for him to lose his place in the pecking order. Management traded Dennis Hildeby in part because they believe in him. Can he be a full-fledged starter for the Marlies now? He played 38 games last season, which is solid. Five AHL goalies played 45-plus games last season; can he pace to that territory and still be highly effective?
Jacob Quillan
Halfway through last season, Quillan appeared primed for a call-up to the Leafs, as he was clicking at roughly a point per game in the AHL and was one of the Marlies’ leaders. When the Leafs did call him up, he was scratched or barely played, and his game suffered to the point where, when he eventually rejoined the Marlies, he wasn’t the same player. I kept him in this category because I still think he has a chance to be their first center call-up, but it’s noteworthy that he did not play center in the second preseason game and went 2-for-9 in the faceoff circle across two games. While he played down the middle in the first game, he didn’t particularly stand out. In the second game, he was much better on the wing. He had a nice scoring chance on the power play on a give-and-go play off the rush, and he made a great pass to set up Ryan Tverberg for the game-winning goal. Only Lettieri, Lorentz, and Blueger played more than Quillan among forwards that night, and he earned it. His speed was noticeable, and he put three shots on net—tied with Blueger, with only Lettieri recording more. After his first game, it was a strong response that showed his standing. We will see if that’s on the wing or at center, though.
Luke Haymes
I didn’t originally place Haymes in this group, but upon reflection, he centered Quillan, and really, after him, who else would be next to call up among centers? Haymes showed pretty well in his four-game call-up with the Leafs last season, then returned to the Marlies and produced 12 points in 24 playoff games. Haymes only appeared in one game in the preseason and played just 12:57 at that, so maybe I’m putting too much stock in the fact that he lined up at center. But the competition is what, exactly? Quillan, whom he centered in the game, and Henrik Rybinski (more on him below)? Haymes is 6-foot-1, a decent skater, and has a pretty good shot, including 17 goals as a rookie in the AHL. But he’s a bit of a tweener right now in that he’s not lighting it up offensively, nor is he a physical checker. Where does that leave his role? If Quillan had centered Haymes in the second game, I wouldn’t have included Haymes in this group.
Dakota Mermis
Mermis played only one preseason game, but he was effective, logging 21:08 with Troy Stecher as his partner. That was the only Leaf pairing that fared well territorially against a pretty solid Habs roster in Montreal. At this point, Mermis is 32 years old, so there’s no real upside here, but he has played 89 games in the NHL, including 14 with the Leafs, and has generally acquitted himself well. He was a rock for the Marlies in the playoffs and solid in his preseason minutes. In training camp, Mermis was one of three Marlies players Jim Hiller highlighted—the other two were Bo Groulx, who has since apparently made the team, and Vinni Lettieri. There are four left-shot defensemen ahead of Mermis on the depth chart, but a veteran fifth option in case of injury is a good spot for him in the pecking order, one he is fully capable of filling.
Promising Prospects
Ben Danford
Given that Danford is a defensive defenseman, preseason is a particularly difficult setting in which to stand out. The hockey lacks structure, and defense is usually at a premium. In his first game, he played on a defensive unit with four NHLers and Marshall Rifai while logging a team-low 14:04 on defense in a game that featured nine power plays between the two teams. In his second game, on a much weaker unit, Danford really stood out and played the second-most minutes on the team at 21:40, a fairly big number. What particularly stood out: Danford’s ability to evade forecheckers with some crafty moves to create time and space for himself to execute clean breakout passes.
Even if they didn’t amount to anything, I also liked that he at least recorded a shot on net in each game. With the Marlies, he flashed a few good moments offensively and even saw some power-play time as a result, even if he only put up three points in 16 games. While I don’t think he’ll ever be a prime offensive contributor, he’s a good skater who makes a crisp outlet pass and is smooth with the puck. Ideally, I’d like to see him continue to hone that part of his game so that he isn’t just purely a defensive defenseman and could contribute the way Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev can—roughly in the 20–25-point range. In his one season in the AHL, McCabe recorded 29 points in 57 games.
Tinus Luc Koblar
TLK serves as another reminder to be careful when evaluating the springtime World Championships. He was excellent in that tournament with nine points in 10 games, but it was immediately clear in the rookie tournament that he will require more seasoning. In his first preseason game, he played 11:29 and didn’t record a shot on net. In his second game, he logged 15:39, put a couple of shots on goal, including a prime scoring chance, and was a lot more confident handling the puck and creating offense. TLK was on what was effectively their top power-play unit and helped create their power-play goal. Defensively, he was on the right side of the puck more often than not. It was positive to see the growth between the two games (similar to what happened in the rookie tournament as well).
In some ways, it’s a shame Koblar has returned to Sweden, as I think he would benefit from playing in North America, and it would also make him an option for a midseason call-up. As it stands, you hope that he plays very well in Sweden and comes back next year much more seasoned.
Miroslav Holinka
It’s a shame Holinka only played one preseason game. He acquitted himself rather well in Ottawa, playing 15:40, fifth among all Leafs forwards. Notably, Holinka played wing instead of center, compared to the rookie tournament, where he did line up at center, though not the entire time. It will be interesting to track how they approach his development with the Marlies—ideally, he becomes a center. The game speed didn’t seem to bother Holinka at all, and the 6-foot-2 right shot is pretty smooth with the puck; he even drew a power play after he walked a defender. He played on their second power-play unit and later on their top unit, on the half-wall, and looked confident carrying the puck through the neutral zone. Holinka wasn’t shy about ripping cross-ice passes or attempting a one-timer at one point, too. There’s good size and some skill here, but I would like to see him get more involved in the dirty areas of the ice.
Veterans who looked good and are potential call-ups
Vinni Lettieri
Lettieri played a massive role in the Marlies’ Calder Cup championship, leading the team in playoff goals and points. He was a player Jim Hiller singled out on the first day of training camp, and in the preseason, he played huge minutes—21:14 the first night (fourth among Leafs forwards), then 19:44 the second night, which led all forwards by quite a bit. He recorded seven shots in the two games and picked up an assist as well.
Look, he’s 31 years old and 5-foot-10, but there’s no denying that he’s dominating the AHL and clearly has some confidence in his sails regardless of who he is playing against. He was teeing up shots and battling hard in front of the Ottawa net in particular, but it just didn’t translate into a lot of production. That said, compared to the other options, if someone like, say, Jack Roslovic went down, you could argue Lettieri would make more sense to call up than the other forward options. Notably, his contract pays him his full $850,000 salary in the AHL, so the organization obviously holds him in high regard.
Marshall Rifai
Rifai had some real standout moments in preseason, including his fight with Florian Xhekaj. He then led all Leafs skaters in ice time in Ottawa, logging 22:32 while picking up the primary assist on the game-winning goal, too. Rifai is 28 at this point, but there’s no doubting his skating ability, physicality, or the overall passion he plays with. I really like him for what he is, but his limitations with the puck hold him back. He only played one game with the Leafs last season against the bottom-dwelling Canucks, and he booted a routine play that immediately led to a goal against; he basically never played again. You could see these flaws in some instances against Ottawa, as he put one in Nick Blankenburg’s skates, leading to a turnover and zone time against. He has the size, skating, and jam to otherwise be an effective bottom-pairing defenseman, but he can’t be a liability with the puck.
Philippe Myers
Last season, Myers effectively played half the season as the previous coaching staff and management group seemingly loved size by default. This year, Myers played only one of the preseason games. Like nearly everyone on the blue line last season, he was in over his head, but it’s easy to forget that he was fairly effective the season before when he hedged his five-on-five minutes. They lacked right shots last season, especially with Chris Tanev missing nearly the whole season. This season, they retained Troy Stecher, signed Darren Raddysh and presumably Nick Blankenburg, and Myers is way down the depth chart. He showed they can’t really count on him as a seventh defenseman — a 7D generally plays quite often, given injuries — but could he provide the Leafs with some spot duty? Probably. Myers was simple and effective in his one preseason game.
Good preseasons; need to take a step in the AHL now
For me, every player in this grouping should look to Bo Groulx for some inspiration. All these players are in and around their mid-20s, like Groulx. Last year, I quite liked Groulx’s preseason before he went down to the AHL and capital-D Dominated that league. He was one of the best goal scorers in the AHL before he was called up. Now, he’s poised to start the season with the big club. All these players had similarly good preseasons, but they need the kind of dominant AHL season Groulx produced to force the issue.
Ryan Tverberg
Following a really strong playoff run in which Tverberg produced 14 points in 26 games, he came into camp clearly ready to go. Tverberg tallied a point in each game, including the game-winning goal in Ottawa on a really nice finish. He played 13:38 in the first game and 15:28 in the second, including time on the power play and penalty kill. While he’s listed at 5-foot-11 and isn’t particularly fast, he has become an effective forechecker who doesn’t mind working the walls and getting his nose a bit dirty. Introducing these elements to his game—namely, working the walls and killing penalties at the pro level—adds to his versatility. He’s also one of few right shots in the organization. Ideally, he takes a big step offensively in the AHL, which would likely earn him a call-up and a better look at some point.
Henrik Rybinski
The 25-year-old Rybinski received a two-year deal in the summer that converts to a one-way contract next season. Rybinski scored 10 goals in each of his last two AHL seasons, but in the preseason, he scored in both games and picked up an assist as well. Considering he hasn’t been particularly productive in the AHL, he was surprisingly crafty and even played some center (he went 3-for-6 in the faceoff circle). A year ago, Groulx was the same age, had never scored 20 goals or 40 points in the AHL, produced a good preseason, went down to the AHL, and lit it up. I’m not saying Rybinski is the top candidate to do the same, but he was surprisingly effective and productive. We’ll see if he can build on it now.
Brendan Brisson
Drafted at the end of the first round back in 2020, Brisson has only gotten into 27 NHL games since then. He was crafty in preseason and clearly has some skill, including a really nice pass from below the goal line to TLK in the slot and a nice rush play with Quillan to set him up for a one-timer. Brisson played in both games and picked up one assist. He also fought Sammy Blais, who has at least a couple of inches on him, after Blais ran over Blankenburg; I thought it was impressive and didn’t expect it from Brisson. He’s turning 25 next month and has never produced a 20-goal or 40-point season in the AHL. He was effective in preseason, and you can see why he was once a first-round pick, but he needs to clear those benchmarks if he’s serious about turning heads.
Landon Sim
I was disappointed that Sim only played in one preseason game because he did exactly what I expected in said game. He fought twice, drew a penalty, pissed off a number of players—including, most importantly, Nick Cousins—and found a way to impact the game. The Leafs scored on the power play he drew. Sim played only 13 AHL games last season, partly due to injury, and also spent time in the ECHL. He’s only 5-foot-10, but he’s a good fighter, loves getting his nose dirty, and knows exactly what his role is. He’s only making the league as an energy guy — which he’s well aware of — but he needs to play nightly in the AHL and chip in some offense on top of the sparkplug qualities.
Disappointing Preseasons
Noah Chadwick
Chadwick put together a nice rookie season with the Marlies, contributing 23 points in 68 games and taking on more responsibility as the season progressed. He appeared in 16 playoff games as well. He played in just one preseason game and finished with the lowest ice time of any Leafs defenseman. I thought he struggled in the rookie tournament, too. The 6-foot-4 Chadwick is pretty skilled with the puck given his height, but his lack of foot speed is a problem. Unlike another tall, skilled former Leaf with slower foot speed, Cody Franson, Chadwick doesn’t own a bomb of a shot.
Cole McWard
The 25-year-old received a two-year deal in the offseason, is making $850,000 in the AHL this season, and played in one preseason game, logging just 15:36 (second-lowest among defensemen), before he was sent down. That’s a disappointing showing for someone who was granted a multi-year deal that pays him quite handsomely in the AHL. He couldn’t even make it through preseason, and he isn’t an established veteran like a Mermis nor a young prospect.
Blake Smith
Smith played one preseason game and committed a notable blunder, fanning on a puck in the neutral zone that led directly to a 2-on-1 and a goal against. The 21-year-old is 6-foot-4 and a big presence on the back end who brought some physicality, but he struggled with the puck. Smith was fifth among Leafs defensemen in time on ice that night, partly because Blankenburg took a big hit and missed some time. It would have been nice to see him be a bit more aggressive as an initiator while also showing improvement as a puck handler.
Disappointed They Didn’t Make The Preseason Lineup At All
Borya Valis
Valis put together a solid first season with the Marlies, posting 15 goals and 25 points in 60 games and playing in 10 playoff games. The 6-foot-2 right-shot has good size and gets to the net really well. I liked his game in the rookie tournament, but between that and whatever he showed in camp, it wasn’t enough to get into a preseason game (he did play in one last season).
Vinny Borgesi
Famously singled out by MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, Borgesi turned in a good rookie tournament in which he was clearly the team’s best offensive defenseman. He didn’t sniff the preseason, though, and while you can understand the exclusion of the odd young player within the numbers game and the short preseason—Alex Bilecki, for example, didn’t play after he was a second-round pick in the summer—Borgesi is already 22 years old. He’ll need a good AHL season to put himself on the map.
Hayes Hundley
Hundley is another NCAA signing, and similarly, I thought he was smooth and effective in the rookie tournament. Unlike Borgesi, though, Hundley is 6-foot-2 and has some of the more traditional traits you prefer in defensemen. He’s technically still only 20 (he turns 21 in December), so the clock isn’t quite ticking the same, but it would have been nice to get a look.
