The Toronto Marlies Notebook: A Tale of Two Teams

Andrew Nielsen

Let’s hop in a time machine and travel back to exactly one year from today.

Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielsen are currently seen as the crown jewels of the Leafs farm system. Both were late round picks, and yet each player had seemingly taken massive strides forward in their development, all in the span of a year’s time. In fact, it was becoming apparent that Leafs management considered them well on their way to carving out NHL roles in the near future. What a time to be alive.

Jumping back to present day, it’s remarkable to witness just how much has changed.

Since then, Dermott has only continued his ascension, rounding into a dependable two-way defender that fans can get excited about, while also nearly earning a spot on the Leafs blueline out of training camp this year in the process.

On the other hand, Nielsen spent his time doing nothing but tumble down the rungs of the organizational depth chart. Since witnessing him in action this weekend, I feel the need to pass along a message. If you happen to be a Nielsen fan, cherish him. Because it’s beginning to look as if his days in Toronto are numbered.

Standing Still

Nielsen is a thoroughly frustrating prospect. If you’ve ever coached minor hockey, you’ve undoubtedly had a player who possessed a world of talent and yet seemed to willfully ignore any aspect of playing defence. Nielsen is that player. Watching someone as blessed with offensive talent as he is seemingly refuse to play a defensively responsible game is positively maddening.

Yes, he does bring immense offensive value, visibly sparking a struggling Marlies power play unit (we’ll get to that) when he draws into the lineup. But, that’s the thing. He hasn’t drawn into the lineup much of late. Considering that he was once thought of as knocking on the NHL’s door, that’s a red flag.

With Martin Marincin’s arrival, Nielsen has now officially been booted from the team’s top six. To make matters worse, Calle Rosen is currently on route to Ricoh as we speak. With all these new faces, it’s starting to look like Nielsen’s path to consistent minutes is only going to get harder.

Breathe

In spite of this, it’s important to remember that Nielsen is still just 20 years old. If everyone had given up on me when I was 20, there’s no way you’d be reading this article right now. Now, that may be a good thing, depending on whether or not you’re a fan of my work. But, trust me, I’m a way bigger mess than he is. He’s still young.

What troubles me most regarding Nielsen is that, since being drafted, his defensive development has remained completely stagnant. If he’s yet to make any positive strides there, I wonder if he ever will.