Toronto Maple Leafs: Marlies Power Rankings Part Two

Much has changed in the way the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies conduct business.

If you happen to be new here, welcome to my 2018 Toronto Marlies power rankings, pre-training camp edition!

As the Leafs organization collectively inches towards entering a pivotal year, more focus than ever will be directed on how capable their farm system will be at ushering along the next wave of talent.

Yesterday covered spots 1-5. Today, we’re hitting 6-9. Enjoy!

6. Chris Mueller

Yet another unsexy name atop this list, Chris Mueller nonetheless served an important role on the Marlies last season, despite posting his lowest offensive totals since 2014-15.

The 32-year-old tacked on 54 points in 73 games throughout his first stint in Marlies blue, inarguably fine production from an AHL vet, albeit a relative a step down from the annual point-per-game pace he’d been riding prior to signing in Toronto.

So, how did Mueller still flirt with the top-5? I’ll tell you. Jeez, let me finish.

As Kyle Dubas pursued Mueller as a free agent over 12 months ago, he did so while being acutely aware that his team possessed the level of scoring might to dictate the Mueller from years past wouldn’t be necessarily needed.

For Mueller to become a worthwhile signing, his value would stem from an ability to perform the role of a reliable centre, as adept patrolling power play and as he was mentoring a host of young talent.

What Mueller embodies, rather, is an embarrassment of riches.

From 2013-14 to 2016-17, the native of West Seneca, New York maintained a staggering points-per-game pace of 0.86, a remarkable achievement in a league where defence reigns supreme.

The Marlies didn’t need peak Mueller to be successful. What they needed was someone to shelter their prospects from unwanted burden. Not only did Mueller accomplish that, he noticeably elevated his game during instances when said prospects struggled to shoulder the load.

I’ll give you an example.

Kasperi Kapanen‘s mid-December promotion spun the Marlies into a state of flux, as his departure coupled with the prior loss of Nikita Soshnikov to leave a significant impact on the team’s offensive depth.

What did Mueller do? He put forth 8 points in 12 games from a period spanning December 8th to January 3rd, effectively steering the Marlies through their most talent-stricken stretch of the schedule.

But wait, there’s more!

As injuries hit in mid-February, Mueller once again rose to the occasion. His 16 points in the 16 games between February 9th and March 14th blunted the loss of Miro Aaltonen to a concussion and went lengths in keeping the Marlies atop the conference standings.

Mueller did just about everything he was brought in to do. He’s firmly in the 6 spot.

7. Trevor Moore

What else can I say about Trevor Moore?

Something about Moore’s game tugged at me from the moment I first saw him in last September’s rookie tournament, urging me to keep tabs on him as he entered into his sophomore go around with the Marlies.

Boy, am I ever glad I did.

Moore’s haul of 33 points in 68 games last won’t dazzle the boxscore vultures. Only, that’s not the point. To judge Moore strictly on a statistical plane is to ignore the arsenal of value he otherwise brings.

As most prospects from Moore’s age bracket fall victim to padding their stat lines by way of cheating, Moore never wavered from matters at hand, opting instead for team success over that of his own.

Rarely was he ever caught out of position. It was Moore’s versatility, in fact, which earned him minutes on all 4 of the Marlies’ forward lines to go with vital roles on both the man advantage and #1 ranked penalty kill.

No longer can the 23-year-old be deemed as “under the radar”. Not after the playoffs.

To put it mildly, Moore used the postseason as what one can only describe as his own coming out party. Moore exploded offensively, filling nets to the tune of 17 points in 20 games which landed him 4th in league-wide playoff scoring and 2nd on his team only to Andreas Johnsson.

He was simply phenomenal. And with management watching from above, Moore succeeded in making it increasingly difficult, night after night, for Leafs brass to ignore his potential as an NHLer.

When Moore hit the ice, opponents noticed. You can bet Dubas did too.

The only thing holding Moore back now from placing higher on this list is the very real possibility of him not playing for the Marlies next season. At least not for long. If he ends up not immediately jumping to the Leafs out of camp, don’t be shocked if the first name Mike Babcock calls following an injury ends up being Moore’s.

In the immortal words of a particular 0-time Stanley Cup winner: “again, I am right in my analysis”

8. Calvin Pickard

Wilting in the shadow of Garret Sparks‘ historic success, Calvin Pickard‘s 2017-18 campaign is deserving of praise all to its own, for more reasons than one.

The analytics boom of recent years undeniably lessened the merits of off-ice value, maintaining intangibles as being among the game’s most important factors while simultaneously discouraging GM’s from using them as the lone justification for a signing as well.

A perfect world would see acquisitions symbolize a marriage between those two viewpoints, providing value in the room and on the ice to a somewhat equal degree.

Pickard is that perfect marriage.

The 26-year-old put forth solid numbers as Marlies’ 1B, his 21 wins pairing nicely with a .918 save percentage that should, in all honesty, be even higher were it not for a few uncharacteristic stumbles in the season’s latter half.

As the chances of Pickard leapfrogging Sparks for the role of Leafs backup in training camp remain unlikely, his standing in the area of “NHL potential” is somewhat hurt, landing him this low.

Then again, Pickard’s value to the Marlies should not be ignored either.

It would’ve been easy for him to take a pre-season trade and subsequent AHL demotion poorly. Enticing, even, considering how Pickard had recently started more than 50 games for the Colorado Avalanche the year before.

Only, Pickard didn’t take the easy route, opting instead to establish himself as one of the AHL’s premier goaltenders while also forming a lasting and productive relationship with his net counterpart Sparks. 

The influence Pickard imparted upon Sparks became increasingly apparent as the season wore on, with Sparks himself pointing to the pair’s friendship as a force driving his success. Instances like these are not normal. Not in the modern game.

Off-ice impact like Pickard’s is almost exclusively acquired via sacrificing on-ice value. When will a player in the midst of an ice time battle ever ignore his personal success in lieu of a purely supportive relationship with the positional competition? Well, here we are.

Pickard gave the Marlies both. And for that, he’s my #8.

Thanks for reading! Part three drops early next week.

Stats courtesy of hockeydb.com & theahl.com