Toronto Maple Leafs February AHL Prospect Review

This season has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

From Mike Babcock getting fired and Sheldon Keefe taking over,  to the unusual number of injuries, it has been a bit of a crazy season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  One silver lining is these injuries have allowed us to get a closer look at certain prospects.

The Leafs record since Keefe stepped in is 21-9-4, and considering all the injuries, this is absolutely bananas. Just to give you an idea of how badly Keefe is missed on the Marlies and how bad the injuries have gotten, the Marlies have gone 14-17-1-1, after starting the season at 11-2-2-1.

To be fair, Sandin, Liljegren and Engvall have all been  been called up to the Leafs and these three are some of the best players on the Marlies. Marincin is also with the Leafs, who seems to play like Bobby Orr as soon he puts on a Marlies sweater.

The task Greg Moore has been tasked with, certainly is not easy, he’s done better than I expected, given that this team has been ransacked with transactions and injuries. Greg hasn’t even gotten to get a full training camp with this roster, to see what he exactly has in the proper light. Greg Moore came into the Toronto Maple Leafs organization from the USHL program, coaching the Chicago Steel.

Interesting note, Greg Moore coached the Steel all the way to the finals in the 2018-19 season. On this roster, however, was notable Leaf pick, Nick Abruzzese, taken in the 4th round this previous draft.

Abruzzese isn’t on this list, but here is your monthly Marlies prospect update, beginning with Adam Brooks.

C/LW; Pierre Engvall, 23, 6’5, 214

AHL; (GP; 15, G; 7, A; 9, PTS; 16)

 NHL; (GP; 35, G; 7, A; 7, PTS; 14)

Being 6′ 5, Pierre has a giraffe like stride, where he has such a strong presence in the middle of the ice, using his long reach and speed.

After being called up due to Trevor Moore’s injury, Engvall stepped into the lineup and immediately contributed in positive ways. Engvall being so effective, is what ultimately got Moore traded to LA. Pierre is still having a regular shift with the Leafs, while killing penalties.

Pierre Engvall has been put in some really difficult minutes and zone starts, having 58% of his starts in the defensive zone, while posting a corsi above 50%. It’s safe to say that the kid is good.

After Pierre’s first 15 games, posting 6 points, Pierre has posted 8 points in his last 19 games. Engvall looks to have hit a bit of a wall in terms of offensive production, going pointless in his last 8 games. It doesn’t help that Toronto just traded for Kyle Clifford either and as a result, Engvall has been pushed to the 4th line.

Leading to more uncertainty, It’s going to be interesting where Engvall stays in the lineup, when Ilya Mikheyev comes back. Engvall has averaged 12 minutes of ice time with the Leafs so far.

Like Adam Brooks, Engvall is approaching the “he is, what he is” stage. Pierre’s potential remains limited, but his size and speed gives him a bigger window for the Leafs.

ETA; Now- Pierre is currently playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs

Potential; Versatile, top 9 forward with skill and speed, capable of contributing on special teams.

RW; Jeremy Bracco, 22, 5’11, 185

AHL (GP; 44, G; 4, A; 30, PTS; 34)

This season has been nothing short of disappointing for Jeremy Bracco. Coming off a 79 point season, many Leaf fans, including myself, thought Bracco would absolutely tear the AHL up this season. That hasn’t exactly been the case and as a result, Bracco is now considered in about every single trade proposal any Toronto Maple Leafs fan makes.

The biggest question right now is, where the heck did Jeremy Bracco go? It’s almost like Leafs Nation has been sending out bat signals to find out why he’s not been in the lineup for the past 4 games. If it is mental or physical, I truly hope Bracco gets healthy soon. Life is bigger than hockey, so it’s important for Bracco to take some time for himself and reset.

My one definite guess is that since Bracco requested a trade at the start of the season, management is not letting the “inmates run the asylum” here.

Playing the right wing, Bracco is climbing an uphill battle on the Toronto Maple Leafs depth chart. With the likes of Marner, Nylander and Kapanen taking up the top 9, Bracco is on the outside looking in.

ETA; Now- he has the skill for the NHL, but depth charts and lack of defensive game hold him back.

Potential; Top 6 RW forward, power play/ shootout specialist, but needs to be put in a heavily protected role. He has boom or bust potential.

LW- Mason Marchment, 24, 6’4, 220- 

AHL (GP; 22, G; 11, A; 4, PTS; 15)

NHL (GP; 3, G; 0, A; 1, PTS; 1)

After a brief stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mason is back to being that huge presence for the Toronto Marlies. In Mason’s last 15 games with the Marlies, he has 12 points in that span, scoring 6 goals in his last 3 games.

He seems to have found his scoring touch and is making a case to get re-called by management. He plays a style that is needed on the Leafs, with a lot of physicality and offensive ability around the net. Needless to say, the Marlies are a better team with him in the lineup. Marchment is currently in a second line role on the Marlies

ETA; 2020-21, potentially now- The Toronto Maple Leafs have an impending cap crunch as previously mentioned, Marchment has a cap hit of 756K that runs till the end of this season. Mason will more than likely make the same amount as his current contract, being able to fit into the cap structure easily.

Scouting report; Marchment plays a style that is needed on the Leafs roster, big, bruising, in your face and is able to help offensively. Think of a Tom Wilson type when looking at Marchment’s game.

LW/RW; Yegor Korshkov, 23, 6’4, 214

AHL (GP; 33, G; 12, A; 7, PTS; 19)

Yegor Korshkov started off the season ablaze, putting up a point per game pace. As the season has worn on, Korshkov has seemed to fade a little bit. Korshkov also sustained an injury in the middle of January.

Yegor has excellent size and utilizes it effectively with his skill. Having special teams abilities will take Korshkov a long way in his future with the Leafs, as it opens up his doors for the Leafs lineup. His versatility certainly helps a lot too, in terms of roster and lineup flexibility.

What is clear, Yegor plays like a Zach Hyman/ Tomas Holmstrom type. He likes to be a big presence on the cycle and around the net.

Over Korshkov’s last 10 games, he has 4 goals, it’s not bad, but if he were to improve his playmaking he would be a lot more effective on the forecheck.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs injury issues, management may be forced to call up Yegor, but I believe their preference is to let him have a full season with the Marlies first. Yegor is currently playing on the Marlies top line.

ETA; 2020-21- Next year looks to be a good bet for Korshkov to crack the Leafs lineup after another impending crap crunch.

Potential; Versatile forward who can play up and down the lineup. Has special teams abilities, which help his case to make the NHL as well. Size and cycle ability is what will help his case for a roster spot.

LW; Dmytro Timashov, 23, 5’10, 192

NHL (GP; 37, G; 4, A; 5, PTS; 9)

Looking at Timashov’s development has been nothing short of fascinating and confusing. There was a point where Timashov wasn’t thought be a serious bet for the NHL. He had a great junior career, which many pundits thought he was a steal for the Leafs. Then Timashov got the AHL and it completely changed.

Dmytro started his AHL career out on the fourth line and had to work up from there. The issue was that Dmytro never really had a lot of offensive opportunity on the Marlies. His “slice of the pie” was always going to be thin, so he had to change his style of game.

This change came in the form of being a lot more physical and really getting in on the forecheck. Many scouts thought he stayed on the perimeter too often, that he never really engaged physically.

In 37 games this season, Timashov has racked up 77 hits. are we seeing Komarov 2.0 here? Now all jokes aside, it is encouraging to see a player being able to transform his game in order to help the team win.

A part in what makes his path to the NHL a little more clear, is that Timashov signed a 1 way contract worth 694,000. He carries a cheap cap hit, he plays LW and he is on a one way contract. Timashov has been fine in the role he’s been given as well, so kudos to management in seeing another gear in Dmytro.

ETA; Now, Timashov is a regular NHLer.

Potential; Timashov is a top 9 forward, he has the skill, speed and physicality to be able to handle a larger role on the team.

RHD; Timothy Liljegren, 20, 6’0, 193

 AHL (GP; 38, G; 5, A; 24, PTS; 29)

NHL (GP; 4, G; 0, A; 0, PTS; 0)

Liljegren has had an interesting development curve, he was protected in his first season and then was pushed hard to round out his defensive game last season. This has given many fans the wrong impression of Liljegren and many have written him off.

Liljegren’s confidence is evident as he has a willingness to move the puck wherever he wants. Liljegren has the ability to weave in and out of oncoming forecheckers, if he so chooses.

What is evident is that Liljegren is a clear upgrade on Cody Ceci, I feel confident that when Ceci is healthy, Liljegren will stay in the lineup.

Liljegren had posted 13 points in his last 13 games with the Marlies before being called up to the Leafs, what makes this more impressive is that Liljegren is one point shy of reaching a season-high across his three AHL seasons.

Keefe has shown plenty of confidence in Liljegren, playing him on the top pair, alongside Rasmus Sandin on the Marlies, but that hasn’t happened on the Toronto Maple Leafs. it’s not really a concern, due to Liljegren and Sandin being rookies.  Liljegren has averaged 10 minutes of ice time with the Leafs, but next year that will most likely rise significantly.

ETA; Now

Potential; Top 4, puck moving defenseman with a strong offensive hockey IQ. Liljegren has an ability to log a lot of minutes as well. He has a solid frame for the NHL, but will need to continue to improve his speed and decision making ability with the puck.

LHD; Rasmus Sandin, 19, 5’11, 183-

AHL (GP; 21, G; 2, A; 13, PTS; 15)

NHL (GP;17, G; 1, A; 6, PTS; 7)

When Rasmus Sandin was called up it was a huge breath of fresh air. We saw glimpses of his potential in October, eventually being sent down and then we saw him dominate in the AHL. Now we get to see more and see how far he’s come since making his debut.

Sandin makes hockey look so simple by playing a heads up game. Some of the manoeuvres he is able to pull off is breath-taking for someone his age. Sandin plays like a veteran, by consistently making the right plays at the right time.

It certainly helps having a mentor like Borje Salming, teaching Rasmus the ropes on how to play in the NHL.

Sandin being 5’11 allows him to be more shifty and agile on the ice, but it takes away from his physical effectiveness. With bigger opponents, he resorts to using a combination of his size and stick, with his mobility maximizing the effort. He doesn’t play a style of game that has a shelf life, if he plays till he’s 40, don’t be surprised in the slightest.

The most impressive part of all of his is that Sandin has already been put onto the second powerplay unit. Keefe could have gone to Muzzin, Dermott, Holl, but chose Sandin. Management knows they have something special in Sandin, as Keefe puts Rasmus out on the PK at times too.

Sandin’s emergence has made Travis Dermott potentially expendable for a future trade as well.

It should be noted, Sandin has been put into difficult minutes in the NHL, having 53.8% of his zone starts in the defensive zone. With these starts, Sandin has managed to have a positive corsi of 53.9%

ETA; Now

Potential; Top 4 defenseman, who can step into a top pairing role and provide valuable minutes. Rasmus has a high IQ when moving the puck, using his mobility and agility to evade forecheckers. Has special teams abilities as well.

RHD- Jesper Lindgren, , 22, 6’1, 176

AHL (GP; 30, G; 1, A; 5, PTS; 9)

Four months into the season and again not much has changed with Lindgren. This isn’t to say that Jesper hasn’t been developing, Jesper has battled injury and getting opportunities.

When coming over from European ice to North American, there is always going to be some difficulties. Luckily, Jesper plays exactly how the Toronto Maple Leafs play, meaning his door will always be open for opportunities, especially by being a right handed defenceman.

Lindgren doesn’t appear to be currently in the Marlies lineup, potentially due to an injury.

ETA; 2022-23, It’s hard to project Lindgren’s development here, fortunately he plays the Leafs style of hockey and is a right handed defenseman, both bode well for him.

Scouting report; Lindgren plays a silky smooth game, he is mobile and smart with puck moving. He’s a hybrid of Anton Stralman and a poor man’s Erik Karlsson.

LHD- Teemu Kivihalme, 6’0 180

AHL (GP; 43, G; 3, A; 11, PTS;14)

Like Lindgren, this season has also been relatively quiet for Teemu Kivihalme. What is encouraging, despite the low point totals, is Teemu being played in the Marlies’ top pairing. This may be due to the fact that Rasmus Sandin, Liljegren and Marincin are with the Leafs, but it shows that management trusts Kivihalme.

I like his overall game and what he brings to the Leafs organization, but he’s another left handed defenceman. Perhaps management sees something in Teemu, but for now, I don’t see much of a future for him on the Leafs.

What is interesting to note, Kivihalme is apart of a Finnish wave of defenders that management has brought into the organization over the past year. Kivihalme, along with Mikko Kokonen and Kalle Loponen have all been brought in this past year.

ETA; To be quite honest, I don’t think Kivihalme has much of a shot, cracking the Leafs at this point in time. Teemu could be an emergency call up at times, but I’m not sure about his long term future.

Scouting report; A dependable, puck moving d-man, who is capable of eating up important minutes for the Marlies.

G- Joseph Woll, 21, 6’4, 203

AHL (GP; 24, W; 8, L; 11, T; 3, GAA; 3.53, Save percentage: .890)

The Marlies have significantly struggled ever since Sheldon Keefe became the Leafs head coach. Unfortunately, Joseph Woll has had to deal with these struggles in net, going 2-7-1 since December ended.

Joseph Woll’s GAA has ballooned up to 3.53 and his save percentage has gone down to .890. These numbers look awful, but it is not his fault- he’s been given some horrible matchups, and has been played on a second night of a back to back often.

Trying to assess goalies is always a struggle, as we have seen countless times that if you count them out, more often than not, you will eat those words.

ETA; 2022-21, Woll being a goalie is hard to predict when he could make the jump to the Leafs full time. I am simply basing this off of the fact that Frederik Andersen could potentially leave via free agency in 2 years. Jack Campbell is now in the picture, making Woll’s path the NHL a little more crowded. This affords Woll a little more time to develop, as there is less pressure now.

Scouting report; Woll possesses a large, projectable frame, he uses his athleticism and long frame to make good saves. Woll will have to improve his rebound control and ability to lock down games for the Marlies, but this comes with repetition and experience.