5 Marlies That Could Crack the Toronto Maple Leafs Lineup Next Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a great development system  and there are some players that could potentially crack the  lineup next season.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup next year uncertain there is always a chance that some young prospect will crack the lineup.

The Marlies have some players who could potentially make the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup, something we saw several times this past season.

Some of the players would fit right into the Toronto Maple Leafs system too and bring some scoring depth for sure.

Here are five players with a good shot of making it:

5.  Kalle Kossila – 27 years old – C

At my number five spot I have Kalle Kossila, and I’m going to start off by saying I don’t think he will take that 4C on the Toronto Maple Leafs but he might come up for some games if needed on that fourth line if they don’t go ahead and re-sign guys like Jason Spezza and Frederik Gauthier.

Kossila who is 27 years old has only played in 19 career NHL games over the span of three years, all with the Anaheim Ducks. He has spent the majority of his career down in the AHL with San Diego and Toronto.

NHL stats – 19 GP – 1 G – 2 A – 3 PTS (ANA)

AHL stats – 182 GP – 54 G – 93 A – 147 PTS (SD/TOR)

2019-20 stats with the Toronto Marlies – 12 GP – 3 G – 3 A – 6 PTS 

(Stats from NHL.com) (Stats from AHL.com)

4. Miikka Salomaki – 27 years old – LW/RW

At my number four spot I have the forward that Kyle Dubas acquired back in February in exchange for Ben Harpur, Miikka Salomaki.

Miikka who is 27 years old is a small speedy winger who can play on either side.

He hasn’t seen much success in the NHL with the Nashville Predators but he can defiantly be on a fourth line and generate some type of offence with his speed.

Just like Kossila I don’t see Salomaki cracking the lineup right out of training camp but you never know what could happen.

If anything, I could see him come up during the season if someone is injured or if they don’t re-sign some of their depth players.

NHL stats – 167 GP – 12 G – 15 A – 27 PTS (NSH)

AHL stats – 173 GP – 37 G – 55 A – 92 PTS (MIL/TOR)

2019-20 stats with the Milwaukee Admirals and the Toronto Marlies – 49 GP – 7 G – 12 A – 19 PTS .

LAVAL, QC – DECEMBER 28: Nicolas Petan #61 of the Toronto Marlies. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

3. Nic Petan – 25 years old – LW/RW/C

At my number three spot I have someone who we are all familiar with by now, Nic Petan.

Nic Petan is a weird player in my opinion, I feel like he’s too good for the AHL yet when he comes up and plays in the NHL he doesn’t produce, or at least he doesn’t produce at a decent rate.

Petan can possibly make the team out of training camp if some players are not re-signed but I doubt it. Management and coaching has given Nic Petan countless opportunities to prove himself at the NHL level and he hasn’t been able to firmly grasp hold of a lineup spot.

Although like I said he’s too good for the AHL as he was promoted during this season but then got sent back down for not producing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

If Nic Petan does play for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2020-21 season it’ll most likely be during the season rather than straight out of training camp.

NHL stats – 129 GP – 6 G – 21 A – 27 PTS (WPG/TOR)

AHL stats – 133 GP – 38 G – 82 A – 120 PTS (MAN/TOR

2019-20 NHL stats with the Toronto Maple Leafs – 16 GP – 0 G – 3 A – 3 PTS

2019-20 AHL stats with the Toronto Marlies – 25 GP – 10 G – 21 A – 31 PTS

(Stats from NHL.com) (Stats from AHL.com)

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – MARCH 01: Kenny Agostino #17 of the New Jersey Devils looks on during warm ups before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 01, 2019 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

1. Kenny Agostino – 27 years old – LW

Finally at my number one spot I have Kenny Agostino.

What differs Agostino from the rest of the group of guys I mentioned is that Agostino has been on five different NHL teams in his six year career, so he has had a decent amount of time playing on different teams and systems at the NHL level.

Kenny Agostino would be a great addition to the bottom six in Toronto on the wing. I wanted him to make the team last year as a fourth liner but he went straight to the Toronto Marlies instead.

When the team went through injuries throughout the year I was just waiting for him to get the call up, but they went and called up guys like Aberg, Marchment, Engvall (which turned out good) and many more guys.

If Agostino is an NHL player and he should be on the Leafs. He has some talent even though he has only played in 85 career NHL games, I think he should hit 100 next season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

NHL stats – 85 GP – 8 G – 22 A – 30 PTS (CGY, STL, BOS, MTL, NJ)

AHL stats – 326 GP – 109 G – 186 A – 295 PTS (STO, CHI, PRO, LAV, TOR)

2019-20 AHL stats with the Toronto Marlies – 53 GP – 27 G – 22 A – 49 PTS 

(Stats from NHL.com) (Stats from AHL.com)

That is the top five most likely Toronto Marlies to make the NHL next season, with honorable mention to Adam Brooks.