Minor League Signings
Not every decision that the organization made will directly affect the Maple Leafs. Some moves were made by Laurence Gilman, the Governor and General Manager of the Marlies along with the team’s Director of Hockey Operations and Alternate Governor, Mike Dixon.
Together, the Marlies’ front office handed out a myriad of contracts. Most of those to add depth for the Marlies. Coach Sheldon Keefe may want to keep an oversized roster, which is allowed in the AHL. There is also a real possibility that some of the signings find themselves playing for the Newfoundland Growlers.
The Growlers became the ECHL affiliate team for the Maple Leafs and Marlies last season. They could be loaned players to help their team compete. This could be a landing spot considering that the Newfoundland roster remains far from complete.
Gilman inked nine players in July. He grabbed right winger Darren Archibald, center Matthew Bradley, center Brady Ferguson, right winger Zach O’Brien, defenceman Michael Kapla right winger Scott Pooley, center Marcus Power, defenceman Kristians Rubins, and goaltender Maxim Zhukov.
Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, none of those players are first-rate prospects. Seeing any of them get an opportunity in the NHL would probably mean that the Leafs roster was devastated by injuries. It’s a long-shot that one of these players explodes in their development, allowing them to usurp others who are already closer to getting the call-up to the big club.
Six of these players, Bradley, Ferguson, O’Brien, Pooley, Power, and Rubins all previously played for the Growlers. Four of them, Ferguson, O’Brien, Pooley, and Rubins, also played for the Marlies.
Archibald has played 55 games in the NHL, split between the Senators and Vancouver Canucks. He totaled 6 goals and eight assists. Kapla played five games for the New Jersey Devils in 2016-17. He was unable to register any points, playing on limited minutes. None of the rest of the group has played in the NHL.
Grade: C-