As great organizations do, the Toronto Maple Leafs are making a habit of strong professional player development.
NHL teams in the salary cap era have recognized that their rosters must be supplemented with cost-effective players from solid drafting and player development. An added emphasis on making the Toronto Marlies competitive in recent years has been instrumental to making that vision a reality for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Marlies have become a pipeline for quality prospects to become NHL-caliber players. Last season, the Marlies won their first Calder Cup and the team has paced the AHL in points in two of the past three seasons.
Because of this revamped approach to their AHL team, the Leafs are now regularly supplemented with assets. Travis Dermott, Garret Sparks and Andreas Johnsson were breakthrough players that made the jump to consistent NHL roles over the past year. This season, multiple candidates are making a compelling case to earn their spot with the Leafs.
Trevor Moore
After a strong showing in the Calder Cup Playoffs last season, Trevor Moore has carried his success into this season, scoring 18 goals in 28 games with the Marlies. In 6 games with the big club, Moore has looked fast, hard-working, elusive, and most importantly, he has looked surprisingly well polished for an NHL role.
This has become a common theme of Marlies call-ups in recent memory. The emphasis on structured and responsible play at the AHL level has helped the transition for players like Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen, who proved capable of jumping into checking line roles for the Leafs with little NHL seasoning.
Moore also received a 2-year contract extension on Sunday, carrying an average annual value of $775K/year. This move suggests that the Leafs envision Moore on their NHL roster in the future.
Jeremy Bracco
Jeremy Bracco has been on a tear over the past couple months, scoring 28 points in his last 20 games. He has now moved into second place in assists in the AHL and his progress over the course of this season is reminiscent of Andreas Johnsson last season, who essentially outclassed the league by the end of the 2017-18 AHL playoffs.
Sheldon Keefe’s comments speak to the belief that the organization has in Bracco:
Calle Rosen
After coming over from Sweden last season, Calle Rosen took some time to adjust to the North American game. However, Rosen has taken a significant step forward this season, as he has scored 26 points in 36 games, and has emerged as the clear #1 defenseman on the Marlies.
After his hot start, the Leafs were quick to re-sign him for an additional 2 years at $750k/year. This should prove to be a steal of a signing, as Rosen looks to be the top candidate to step into an NHL role after Jake Gardiner’s, Igor Ozhiganov’s, and Ron Hainsey’s contracts expire this summer.
The Toronto Maple Leafs currently have 12 player contracts expiring at the end of this season. A significant roster turnover may be necessary to navigate the salary cap challenges they will face. However, with strong professional player development, the franchise will continue to generate options that should maintain their status as a Stanley Cup contender for years to come.