Toronto Marlies Notebook: Opening Weekend Thoughts

It’s finally here! As many of you know, this past weekend the Toronto Marlies kicked off their regular season with back to back victories against Vancouver’s farm team, the Utica Comets.

As I’ve stated previously, this Marlies season is bound to be the franchise’s most interesting one yet. With the season now a full week old, I can definitively announce that, yes, I was right. Shocker, I know. So, sit back, as I use this weekly series as an outlet through which I will purge the entirety of my Marlies related thoughts.

Scratches

There’s really no better way to begin a series about the Toronto Marlies than by focusing on the players that actually failed to suit up in their first two games. The scratches for opening weekend included the likes of: defencemen Martin Marincin and Michael Paliotta, along with forwards Mason Marchment, and Jeremy Bracco. There are certainly some interesting names in that group, so let’s unpack them.

The majority of these scratches primarily result from depth issues at their respective positions. Marchment is a serviceable, albeit inconsistent player. Observing him in the rookie tournament illuminated both the positive and negative aspects of his overall game. On one shift, he would look completely lost, only to then forecheck with the vigor of a poor man’s Zach Hyman on the next. Marchment remains a very raw player, making it understandable for Sheldon Keefe to keep him out. Paliotta happen to be in a similar boat, in the sense that he is simply a casualty of a stacked D-corps.

Scratching Marincin follows a rational train of thought. Isn’t it fun to say that about anything related to the Leafs? Man, this is awesome. Anyway, he was just waived by the big club the previous week, and with the plethora of alternate defensive options on the Marlies roster, it awarded him time to process his demotion.

It is unclear how many games Marincin will suit up for throughout the course of the season. There’s no way he will take the spot of a young, developing player like Timothy Liljegren or Andrew Nielsen. And I find it highly unlikely that he will replace roster stalwarts like Travis Dermott or Rinat Valiev. The most likely avenue that Marincin follows will be the one that leads him out of Toronto in a trade.

Where’s Jeremy?

I know what you’re thinking. I forgot to mention Jeremy Bracco being one of the scratches. Not to worry, dear reader, I intend to dedicate an entire section to the topic. Bracco is, without a doubt, a tremendously skilled player. Possessing phenomenal hands and vision, he couples those assets with a lightning quick release that, when timed properly, is lethal. So, why was he scratched for opening weekend? Here’s what I think.

Jeremy Bracco is small. However, being a small hockey player is no longer a bad thing. Take it from a fellow vertically-challenged human such as myself, our kind used to be exiled from this sport. Luckily, for him, the NHL is trending in a different direction, embracing skill over sheer size. If only someone had told Brian Burke that before he drafted Tyler Biggs, but I digress. It just happens that the AHL is a completely different league. Throwing a player of his stature directly into a professional league game may not be the wisest decision from a development standpoint. Instead, Keefe took a route that may prove to work out in the long run.

Orientation

Keefe allowed Bracco to assimilate himself into the Toronto Maple Leafs signature culture and playing style, as well as have him witness the pace and rigor of the professional game first hand. I can guarantee you that Bracco was not only munching on press box popcorn during those games, but actually taking some detailed notes.

I’ll make the analogy of a high school senior sitting in on a few first-year university lectures. It gives him the opportunity to feel out the situation, and, in turn, make him far better prepared for when classes begin. Orientation is over now, and I have a hunch that Bracco will find himself in the thick of mid-terms before he knows it.

Soshnikov Cocktail

Get it? Because it’s a play on “molitov cocktail”? Ah, forget it.

Nikita Soshnikov is the often-forgotten member of the historic Maple Leafs rookie corps from last season. One reason as to why he frequently flies under the radar is likely due to his extensive injury history. Soshnikov is a bumper car on the ice, flying into his surroundings with extreme force, only to bounce right back up. His playing style reminds me of a 2013-era Mikhail Grabovski. Unfortunately, along with their similar styles of play, a history of concussions happen to be something that both players have in common as well.

Happy & Healthy

It had been reported that, over the summer, Soshnikov was STILL experiencing symptoms stemming from a concussion he suffered in February. Being someone whose hockey career was ended by concussions, that is downright frightening to me. Dealing with those issues undoubtedly casts a negative impact upon a player’s conditioning, general mindset, and on-ice timing. With that said, it’s far from a bad thing that Soshnikov will spend this season in the AHL. If nothing else, he deserves to experience a full-length, injury-free season of hockey, and the best place for him to do that is on the Marlies.

Based on the first two games, this plan is working out juuuuuuust fine for Sosh. He was actually the Marlies most effective player in both games against Utica, even if his work wasn’t reflected on the stat sheet. The lone goal he scored happened to be an empty netter, resulting from a ridiculous individual effort on his part.

I’ve always been a fan of Soshnikov. I believe he has more offensive potential than his nine points from last season illustrated. If he continues to find his offensive stroke, there are two distinct outcomes to his situation. He’ll either make next year’s Leafs roster that much more crowded, or he’ll turn himself into a nice little trade chip for the Leafs to package in a deal for that defenceman the internet keeps yelling about. All we can do now is wait and see.

Big Time Timmy

I couldn’t finish a Marlies Notebook without mentioning their prized possession, Timothy Liljegren. It’s become pretty obvious now that I’m a huge Liljegren fan. Not only did the Leafs get the best D-man in the entire draft at 17^th overall, but I believe that he’s closer to the NHL than most think.

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Playing for the Marlies this season is, far and away, the best thing for Liljegren’s development. As I’ve written previously, the bulk of Liljegren’s defensive struggles result from issues with his gap control. These are deficiencies that are completely expected to come from a player who’s played his entire life on a far larger ice surface. Thankfully, he’ll now be able to educate himself on the nuances of the North American ice, while also being just a stone’s throw away from his NHL club.

Timmy is looking pretty darn good so far, albeit in sheltered minutes. The strides he has taken since his disastrous Rookie Tournament debut are simply astounding. What we’re witnessing here is a player who is a tremendously quick learner, and he’ll only continue to get better. In fact, I’m happy to report that Big Time Timmy scored his first AHL goal this past weekend! I feel like a proud big brother, although one that did nothing with his life and now lives vicariously through his much talented younger sibling. Regardless, way to go Timmy! I can’t wait to watch his continued growth throughout this season.

Next: Andersen Has Bad Game

Next Week

The Marlies now have a week off to recoup, revel in their victories, and plan for their next opponents. As always, make sure to check into Editor in Leaf as I recap their many adventures in next week’s Marlies Notebook. See you then!

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