Toronto Maple Leafs: Gilman Taking Cues From Dubas
Immediately following his arrival to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kyle Dubas set in motion a blueprint to meticulously craft the Toronto Marlies into an unstoppable juggernaut.
Four years later, there Dubas stood preparing to receive the Calder Cup from Sheldon Keefe, Marlies head coach. The coach he specifically chose to execute his vision.
The ensuing celebration served as an exclamation point. A punctuation to signal one of the AHL’s most successful examples of team building coming to an end.
Naturally, as the Leafs officially promoted Dubas to the general manager’s chair in May, a colossal pair of shoes were left to fill. Or, since it’s Dubas we’re talking about here, colossal glasses.
Enter Laurence Gilman, Dubas’ replacement.
Gilman is a relatively unknown quantity in areas outside of hockey’s tightest circles. Known for his hand in crafting the NHL’s premier almost-dynasty- the early 2010’s Vancouver Canucks – Gilman’s name remained highly sought after prior to joining the Leafs.
This was evidenced by reports indicating Gilman had been close to accepting the role of ECHL’s new commissioner before ultimately changing course.
Needless to say, the man carries quite the resume.
Grabbing the Marlies’ reigns from the outset, Gilman has been busy, signing 18 different players likely to spend extended stints with the Marlies. It’s in these signings where his philosophy on roster construction is revealed. A philosophy sharing a few similarities to that of his successor.
Namely, coming in the pairs’ use of veterans at the AHL level.
Advantages
While much has been made of the Marlies’ uncanny ability to sniff out hidden talent on the Island of Misfit Toys, it’s far from the only factor contributing to their success. One of perhaps equal influence is how effectively they wield the financial might afforded by their organization.
Operating under the umbrella of hockey’s richest franchise appears to have its benefits.
The AHL’s is a league whose degree of personnel turnover is off the carts. With players hopping from team to team, it makes the task of maintaining a consistent, long-term talent pool downright Sisyphean. Just, not for the Marlies.
Rather, their ability to doll NHL calibre salaries out to premium AHL talent gives them an advantage few others share. An advantage the Marlies rode to a Calder Cup.
Financial Might
Last summer, Chris Mueller and Vincent LoVerde, two of the AHL’s top veteran free agents, were identified as candidates worthy of being locked in at top dollar. And that’s exactly what they did.
Excluding victims of demotion or cap burial, AHL stars rarely cash paychecks north of $400,000. Mueller and LoVerde make $725,000 and $650,000, respectively.
Lumping them in with the re-signing of Ben Smith and prior recouping of Colin Greening, both at similar salaries to the aforementioned duo, and the Marlies’ payroll easily eclipses the league standard.
Only, that’s not a bad thing. The AHL doesn’t enforce a salary cap or roster limit. Nothing, save for an accountant, stands in the way of teams from padding their lineup to their heart’s content.
In a similar vein to Dubas, Gilman has followed suit.
Lost in the John Tavares hoopla of July 1st were the signings of Josh Jooris, Adam Cracknell and Jordan Subban. While these moves fail in registering as much of a blip, they’re undoubtedly vital to assuring the Marlies’ window for contention stays open.
Subban may be the flashiest of the three, but it’s Cracknell who intrigues the most.
Cracknell
A 69 game stint with the 2016-17 Dallas Stars served as Cracknell’s last extended taste of big league action. Now turning 33 on July 15th, his days atop hockey’s highest rung appear to be over.
Which, for the Marlies, may actually be a good thing.
Following a brief 15-game stop in Hartford with the Wolfpack, Cracknell eventually landed with the lowly Laval Rocket. Now, when I say Laval’s 2017-18 season will be remembered as one of the most depressing in recent memory, I mean it.
Employing a lineup so achingly devoid of talent, Laval slogged its way to a final record of 24-42-7. Somehow, they managed to accomplish such a feat in the most boring manner possible.
I bring this up for a reason. Namely, to endow Cracknell’s production with needed context.
In 54 games, the veteran put forth impressive totals of 27 goals and 48 points. And he did it all with no help from the worst supporting cast in the AHL. That’s not easy.
In circumstances like Cracknell’s, the argument of “well, someone on a bad team has to score” usually gets raised. To that, attention must be directed towards to the late 2000’s-era Leafs.
Believe me, it’s actually quite possible for a bad team to lack scorers.
So, if Cracknell flirted with 30 goals in spite of his surroundings, what can he accomplish because of them? Well, quite a lot, actually.
Better Surroundings
In his aforementioned NHL stint with the Stars, Cracknell proved surprisingly adept at driving play.
While only logging a paltry 10 minutes and 28 seconds of ice time per night, a decidedly small sample size, his CF/60 at 5v5 equated to an impressive 51.3%. A high number for a noted grinder. Not only that, Cracknell managed a positive CF% rel of 2.0 in the process.
The latter metric is of particular note here, shedding light on the veteran winger’s effectiveness in relation to his teammates. As an NHLer, Cracknell’s career 1.9 CF% rel suggests a repeated affinity to perform at a level above those around him.
At just 79 games, it’s a small sample size to draw from. Even so, it roughly evens out to a full season. Now that Cracknell has proven to thrive within less than ideal conditions, the potential of him spending regular minutes alongside a playmaker like Jeremy Bracco or a finisher like Carl Grundstrom becomes incredibly appetizing.
At the very least, he would breathe life into an Andreas Johnsson-lacking power play.
Course Correction
In signing with Toronto, the reality of Cracknell’s current situation may have registered with him.
Greening, a veteran in a similar position, happened to undergo a similar period following the 2015-16 season. Coming to grips with his slim to none odds of an NHL return, Greening pivoted, fully committing himself to new roles as top AHL contributor and veteran guide.
Without Greening, the Marlies all but certainly would have failed in capturing Calder Cup glory. and, if Cracknell follows a similar path, it only extends the Marlies’ window further.
Like Greening, Cracknell will receive an NHL-calibre salary, his to the tune of $650,000. With the market for wingers currently at an all-time low, it’s likely the top offer he’d receive. Now being compensated quite well, Cracknell may recognize he’s best suited for the role of a premier weapon for the Marlies. Maybe, he’ll stick around. In fact, Cracknell brings with him a degree of offensive prowess than Greening ever has. He may even be an upgrade.
Clearly, this was on Gilman’s amidst the first free agency period of his Marlies tenure.
These veterans have proven to regularly extend playoff pushes deep into the summer. And, if the Marlies have taught us anything, it’s that prospects are those who exit such runs as the primary benefactors.
More games with more significance inevitably lead to more development.
Dubas rode this strategy to the AHL’s top honours. Gilman seems intent on doing the same.
Thanks for reading!
All stats courtesy of hockeyreference.com