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The Toronto Marlies Notebook: A Tale of Two Teams

By Mike Stephens

TORONTO, ON - MAY 15: The Toronto Marlies celebrate a 3rd period goal against the Syracuse Crunch during game 6 action in the Division Final of the Calder Cup Playoffs on May 15, 2017 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Marlies beat the Crunch 2-1 to tie the series 3-3. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 15: The Toronto Marlies celebrate a 3rd period goal against the Syracuse Crunch during game 6 action in the Division Final of the Calder Cup Playoffs on May 15, 2017 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Marlies beat the Crunch 2-1 to tie the series 3-3. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 7: Andreas Johnsson
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 7: Andreas Johnsson /

Andreas Johnsson

I have no idea what to make of this scratch. When I asked Sheldon Keefe about it following Sunday’s game, he insisted that it was neither injury or performance related. Andreas Johnsson has been one of the best Marlies this season, with four points in five games. He’s been on fire, looking positively electric during his pre-season stint with the Leafs as well.

Johnsson’s ascension through the Maple Leafs organization is a fascinating one. Funny enough, he was originally a 7th round pick in 2012, with his stock drastically dropped from what was originally projected. Unbeknownst to anyone, Johnsson’s fall actually resulted from a previously undiagnosed struggle with sports asthma. When watching him in games, most scouts concluded that, with Johnsson constantly gasping for breath, he must have been out of shape. Little did they know that his asthma had caused his lungs to simply lack the capacity required of a high-performance athlete.

Explosion

All it took for him to get back on track was receiving proper treatment for his ailment. Once healthy, Johnsson exploded, with his success culminating in being named SHL Rookie of the Year in 2014. By the way, previous SHL ROY winners include Henrik Zetterberg, Mattias Ekholm, Loui Eriksson, Nicklas Backstrom and Victor Hedman. Not bad company to keep.

The Leafs brass are undoubtedly high on Johnsson, making these scratches that much more confusing. I don’t want to speculate, as I have nothing to base them on, but his absence could be attributed to anything from maintenance days to handling a personal issue. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not he suits up for the Marlies upcoming stretch against Laval. If he doesn’t, then there really will be some red flags.

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