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Toronto Marlies Notebook: Weekend Field Trip

By Mike Stephens

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 25: The Toronto Marlies celebrate their win against the Belleville Senators during AHL game action on November 25, 2017 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 25: The Toronto Marlies celebrate their win against the Belleville Senators during AHL game action on November 25, 2017 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 28: Mason Marchment
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 28: Mason Marchment /

Hidden Gems

Prior to this season, were any of you familiar with the name Mason Marchment before?

Don’t kick yourself if you weren’t. Marchment wasn’t drafted, currently lacks an NHL contract, and has never scored more than 43 points at any level of hockey he’s ever played at.

20 games into 2017-18, and he finds himself fourth in team scoring with 12 points in 15 games. I mean, he scores goals like these:

What about the unnervingly handsome Andreas Johnsson? He tumbled all the way down to the seventh round of his draft year. How many seventh-round picks, other than Henrik Zetterberg, actually end up playing even a single NHL game?

Well, Johnsson is currently the Marlies team leader in not just goals but points as well.

Squeezing that level of production from the likes of lower round picks and undrafted over-agers is outstanding. It speaks to a new-found philosophy regarding player recruitment and development that’s been adopted by the Leafs organization.

To put it in perspective, no player selected outside of the first round by the Edmonton Oilers since 2014 has played even a single NHL game yet.

Not one.

So, rather than relying on the draft lottery, the Leafs have instead transformed their AHL affiliate into an island of misfit toys. And it’s paying off.

Diamonds in the Rough

Their strategy is simple. Unearth players with underlying talent, ones who either bloomed too late to be drafted or fell victim to flat out bad luck in their draft year. Then, sign them to a bare minimum, incentive laden contract. And finally, invest in their development, giving them heavy minutes on a talented Marlies team playing against professionals.

A multitude of current Marlies forwards fit these criteria. Adam Brooks was passed over in the draft not once, but twice. Trevor Moore went undrafted and was signed out of the NCAA. Miro Aaltonen was a 6th round pick by Anaheim, and never even sniffed the NHL until this year.

All three of those players possess NHL potential and have been playing significant roles on this Marlies squad. Want to know how many assets the Leafs gave up to get them?

One. A 4th round pick.

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