Toronto Maple Leafs: Much has Changed in Two Short Years

It goes without saying that the Toronto Maple Leafs have come leaps and bounds in the last two calendar years.

Feeling down after a loss? Compare the overall makeups of this present day team and its 2016 counterpart. I promise it’ll cheer you up.

And as luck would have it, if you follow Leafs reporter Paul Hendrick on Twitter, you involuntarily took part in this exercise this morning.

I mean, just look at that. Dear lord.

Just nine players who suited up for the Leafs on April 9th, 2016 remain with the organization today. And of those nine, four of them play for the Marlies.

The roster turnover is so staggering, I’d wager a good chunk of you simply forgot that a number of the names listed above ever donned the blue and white. I certainly wouldn’t blame you.

As I gazed in awe at this lineup, one question entered my mind. “Where are they now?”. What happened to these deck chairs atop a Titanic that was trying to sink itself?

Let’s find out.

Brooks Laich

Let’s just take a second to acknowledge that Brooks Laich was a FIRST LINER just two short years ago.

Today, Laich’s full-time job is being obnoxiously positive on Instagram, posting daily fitness videos with his wife, actress Julianne Hough. The guy is a fitness freak, and, in true Bachelor fashion, is absolutely living his best life.

Following the Tank Year™, Laich was banished to the AHL for the 2016-17 season, where it was expected he mentor role young Marlies hopefuls like Kasperi Kapanen, Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielsen.

That didn’t exactly go as planned.

Believing he still had value as an NHLer, Laich requested a trade from the Leafs in February of 2017. The next day he was placed on waivers, passing through unclaimed.

As a free agent last summer, Laich earned a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Kings in October. Unfortunately, his lone return to Toronto as a King wasn’t your ideal revenge game.

Laich and the Kings mutually terminated his contract in November, and he’s since returned to a life of beaches, dogs and fun. Sounds pretty good to me.

P.A. Parenteau

In June, P.A. Parenteau came one game away from his name being etched on the Stanley Cup forever. People seem to forget that.

Given his reasonably successful year on the 2015-16 Leafs, it’s puzzling to see how hard it was for Parenteau to find NHL employment since.

Parenteau returned to the New York Islanders following the tank year, signing a one-year, $1.25 million contract on the second day of free agency.

Four months later, he was on waivers.

Immediately claimed by the New Jersey Devils, Parenteau began putting together a decent offensive season. Tallying 27 points in 59 games, and with such a low cap hit, he should have been the perfect example of a playoff rental.

Puzzlingly, he was given away to Nashville for a sixth-round pick, suiting up for just eight remaining regular-season games while sitting for all but five in the playoffs.

Following a failed PTO with the Red Wings, Parenteau now finds himself in the KHL, chipping in 13 points in 20 games for Avtomobilist. At 34, we’ve likely seen the last of him in the NHL.

Tobias Lindberg

Tobias Lindberg‘s tenure in the Leafs organization will be remembered for a number of reasons, none of which relate to his on-ice contribution.

He was a major component of the deal which kick-started the “Shannaplan”, coming over from Ottawa in the Dion Phaneuf trade. In his six games with the Leafs, Lindberg registered two assists, while assuming a role on the first power-play unit.

Note to self: think about that the next time you find yourself bemoaning Leo Komarov‘s PP usage.

Following a 44-game 2016-17 season with the Marlies, Lindberg was dealt again, heading to Vegas in exchange for Calvin Pickard. He never played a game for the Golden Knights, changing cities once more as a casualty of the Derrick Brassard trade to Pittsburgh.

Lindberg has the unfortunate honour of helping the Leafs rid themselves of arguably the most onerous contract in franchise history, and receive their backup goaltender of the future.

Thanks, Toby!

Michael Grabner

Michael Grabner is in rare company here. He’s one of the seven players from that lineup still on an NHL team.

In the most “Leafs” fashion imaginable, Grabner followed up his thoroughly underwhelming tenure in Toronto with consecutive 27 and 25-goal seasons for the Rangers.

Because, of course he would.

Coming in at a cap hit of just $1.65 million, Grabner remains one of the NHL’s most fiscally valuable players. Grabner’s breath-taking speed and two-way ability allowed him to become a penalty killing maestro, without hindering him from putting up fantastic offensive numbers.

The New Jersey Devils seemed to agree with that assessment, as they paid the price of a second-round pick and prospect Yegor Rykov to essentially rent him for the playoffs.

When remembering the tank year, Grabner will forever be the one that got away.

Sam Carrick

2010 Toronto draft pick Sam Carrick holds the enviable distinction of being the second-best “Carrick” to suit up for the 2015-16 Leafs.

Through 19 games at the NHL level, Carrick registered two points, both coming during his brief big-league stint in 2014-15.

Since the tank year, Carrick has bounced around the AHL, playing one year in Rockford and two in San Diego.

Honestly, there’s not too much to write about here. Carrick is a good AHLer, and at 26, that’s likely what he’ll be for the rest of his career.

And you know what? Good for him.

Byron Froese

Did you enjoy Brian Boyle’s all too brief stint with the Leafs? Well, you have Byron Froese to thank for that.

In essence, Froese is the perfect example of the “AAAA player”. One who wreaks havoc on the AHL, but can never quite stick at the level above.

During the tank year, Froese actually suited up for a shockingly high 56 games with the Leafs, primarily due to him being the player who most closely resembled Mike Babcock’s ideal fourth line centre.

What can I say? The man can win a faceoff.

In 2017-18, Froese has bounced back and forth between the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket, a fate I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemy.

Stay strong, Byron!

Brad Boyes

After posting 24 points in 60 games of the tank year, Brad Boyes retired from the NHL.

At least we’ll always have this tweet.

Frank Corrado

Little did we know just what exactly Frank Corrado would become in the years beyond 2015-16.

You all know the details. Sentenced to solitary confinement in Babcock’s doghouse, Corrado’s roster status evolved into a running joke in 2016-17. In the two games he managed to draw into, Corrado went pointless, collecting six minutes in penalties.

Mercifully, he was dealt to Pittsburgh at last year’s deadline, where he’s gone on to become a very useful defenceman for their AHL affiliate in Dunder Mifflin territory.

For those who haven’t watched The Office, I’m talking about Scranton.

Andrew Campbell

Another example of the “AAAA player”, Andrew Campbell served as captain of the Toronto Marlies from 2015-2017.

Known as the consummate professional, Campbell joined the Arizona Coyotes organization this past summer. To date, he’s played 46 games and counting for their AHL affiliate in Tuscon.

T.J. Brennan

I’ve written about T.J. Brennan before, focusing on his incredible offensive production at the AHL level. It didn’t do him justice.

Basically, Brennan was the AHL’s Bobby Orr.

As a defenceman, he’s topped the 60-point plateau three times in the last five years. And while manning the Marlies blueline in 2013, Brennan put up a staggering 72 points, far and away the team lead.

Now, you’d think a point-per-game defenceman would earn an NHL look, right? Well, not so fast.

Brennan has played just 54 big league games over the last decade for a reason. Namely, he can’t defend his way out of a wet paper bag.

Instead, he’s carved out a bountiful niche for himself as the AHL’s premier offensive defenceman, now plying his craft for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Johnathan Bernier

Reimer was better.

Next: Marlies Notebook: Baun to the Next One

Thanks for reading!