Toronto Maple Leafs: Marlies Forwards Report Cards Part One
With Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen now permanent NHLers, one could be led to believe the Toronto Maple Leafs are left with a dearth of young forward talent.
Well, that person would be sorely mistaken.
Last week, we covered the defencemen. This week, it’s the forwards turn to be graded. Allow me to fasten on my teaching hat. Because I’ve got some report cards to write.
Presenting part one of the Toronto Marlies forwards report cards. If you wish to debate your mark, you must schedule a parent-teacher conference. Sorry, it’s school board policy.
Enjoy.
Ben Smith
Grade: A
Ben Smith‘s play this season mirrors his physique; incredibly solid.
You can throw him out in any situation with the confidence that he’ll succeed. And, funnily enough, he almost always does.
As the year progressed, Smith shifted between centre and both wings, all while operating as a staple on the PP and PK units. That’s the type of versatility one expects from their captain.
With Andreas Johnsson gone for greener pastures, Smith’s 27 goals and 57 points pace his team, coming in spite of spending the bulk of the season’s opening month on the fourth line. He’s not flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but gosh darn it if Smith doesn’t get the job done.
What more can you really ask of him?
In all, Smith serves as the embodiment of the “quadruple A” player. On an AHL roster, he’s the centrepiece. On an NHL roster, he’s at the fringes. Hitting free agency this summer, Smith finds himself at a career crossroads.
Having been named an AHL Second Team All-Star earlier this week, I’d wager an NHL club lacking centre depth opts to take a flier on the 29-year-old.
Who knows, maybe he’s a late bloomer.
Chris Mueller
Grade: B
Chris Mueller is a challenging player to grade.
While he’ll never be confused with a defensive stalwart, he’s not being paid $625,000 per year, a far higher AAV than the average AHL contract, to channel 2006’s Sami Pahlsson.
Overall, Mueller’s season has been…fine, I guess?
His 49 points in 72 games are respectable enough, albeit a tad underwhelming given the PP time he’s been given. A strong middle of the season for Mueller has been bookended by a sluggish middle and end. Picking up the offensive slack from November – January, a period when the Marlies were missing a number of key players, he’s gone particularly quiet in between.
What Mueller has done well this season is foster chemistry with young players, with a specific focus on his work with rookie Adam Brooks. Struggling at centre for most of the season, Keefe slid Brooks to Mueller’s wing.
Boy, has it worked out.
In his seven games alongside Mueller, Brooks registered six points. Now back at centre, Brooks has continued full steam ahead, extending his hot streak to 10 points in 10 games since he and Mueller were first united.
The two play off each other very well, with Mueller’s net-front presence the perfect compliment to Brooks’s playmaking ability.
A below-average skater on a terrifyingly speedy team, Mueller relies on the powerplay for the bulk of his production. The wily vet will now be awarded a much-needed breather (he’s played in all but one game this season) before the Marlies take on Belleville and Laval on the weekend to cap off the year.
Miro Aaltonen
Grade: A-
Were it not for a concussion suffered in mid-February, Miro Aaltonen is a Toronto Maple Leaf at this current juncture. At the very least he’d have forced the Leafs brass into thinking twice about acquiring Tomas Plekanec.
Yes, he was playing that well.
In training camp, the problem for Aaltonen was that the role best suited for him, that of a top-nine centre, didn’t have an opening. A middle lineup of Matthews, Kadri and Bozak was set in stone, leaving the fourth line pivot spot as his only option.
Not helping his cause is that Babcock generally favours large, defensively-minded centres to patrol his bottom. Aaltonen, generously listed as six feet, did not fit that bill. So, to the AHL he went.
Looking back on it, the decision was absolutely the best outcome for Aaltonen’s future.
Operating as the Marlies top-line centre, a role he’s latched onto for the better part of 2018, Aaltonen has flourished. Compensating for his lesser frame, Aaltonen uses body position and leverage as a tool to win puck battles more effectively than any practically player I’ve seen at this level.
More importantly, he’s logging significant minutes on the Marlies penalty kill, rounding out his skill set and perhaps doing wonders to win Babcock’s trust. A depth centre with his speed is not something opposing teams want to plan for.
With Tyler Bozak set to depart in the offseason, the Leafs now have a job opening in their top-nine. Expect Aaltonen to get a long look in camp.
Dmytro Timashov
Grade: B-
Man, Dmytro Timashov is a frustrating player.
Don’t get me wrong, the talent is there. When he’s on, he’s on.
In an instant, Timashov has the puck on a string, using his phenomenal vision and puck protection to control possession in the offensive zone, occasionally generating goals like this.
Nice fake shot & pass from Timashov...Pierre Engvall buries it! pic.twitter.com/3G5dfrBxRs
— Rod Blanchard (@RodBlanchard) April 5, 2018
The hitch in the giddy-up here, however, is the version of Timashov you all witnessed above makes only sparse public appearances. As quickly as he can dominate a game, he’ll disappear from one even faster.
Such inconsistency is mirrored by his usage.
TImashov has bounced around the lineup all season, serving extended stretches on every line from first to the fourth. While his spot on the top power play has remained constant throughout, the Marlies desperately need their talented sophomore to produce at even strength.
So far, it just hasn’t happened.
Now, this could be a reflection of his age (he’s only 21). But, in an organization flush with talented wingers, Timashov needs to start turning some heads or risk being lost in the shuffle. Players younger than him have entered the fray this season and instantly made a name for themselves. The clock is ticking.
A strong playoff could do wonders to help his cause.
Trevor Moore
Grade: A-
Trevor Moore is Toronto’s most underrated prospect. It’s the hill I’ve chosen to die on, and I will happily defend this assertion until the sun burns out and envelops the earth, wiping out all human life in the process.
Moore’s game is eerily similar to Zach Hyman‘s.
His ability to retrieve the puck using his strong edgework along the boards is mesmerizing to watch. He’s a complete player, one who impacts the game at both ends of the ice while almost never operating out of position.
Yes, Moore’s 30 points in 66 games fail to jump off the page initially. Although, context is required to fully understand them.
For the better part of 2017, Moore just couldn’t find the scoresheet. A constant threat to score, he hovered around the net while a force field seemingly surrounded it, activating solely in instances when the puck left Moore’s stick.
Now, this can’t be entirely chalked up to bad luck. There were clearly a few finishing problems in need of ironing out as Moore entered his sophomore season.
Well, consider them ironed.
Through 34 games the Marlies have played in 2018, his 19 points sit fourth most on the team. The only names ahead of him in that regard happen to be Andreas Johnsson (obviously), Smith, and Aaltonen. All top line players.
Heed my words, people: do not sleep on Trevor Moore.
Next: Top 10 Goals of the Year
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for part two.