5 Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects That Should Be On Standby
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies season is officially cancelled.
To nobody’s shock, the AHL decided to cancel the regular season this week, which means many Toronto Maple Leafs prospects are officially out of work for the time-being.
Although the AHL season has been cancelled, that doesn’t have any affect on the NHL’s regular season and playoffs.
As mentioned earlier this week, there are a number of different factors that led to the cancellation of the AHL season, with revenue generation being the most important.
Without paying fans, the AHL doesn’t have enough financial backing to continue, whereas the NHL has a better opportunity thanks to their TV deals.
With the Marlies finished season, their GM Laurence Gilman made an interesting note, as mentioned below in a Tweet by Leafs reporter Kristen Shilton.
Marlies GM Laurence Gilman said a certain number of Marlies have been told they’re on standby to join #Leafs if NHL returns. Organization has conducted exit interviews with all players
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) May 11, 2020
As you can see, a few players will be asked to stick around if an NHL season resumes. That means that some players will be able to stop working out and enjoy their summer early, whereas a number of players will have to keep their body in shape in case they get the call-up.
Although, the season is far from returning, here are five Marlies that should be on standby if the NHL season resumes.
#5. Joseph Woll
If a goaltender goes down to injury, the Toronto Maple Leafs will need someone fast and with the travel restrictions, that may be hard to do on short notice, so Woll should be ready.
It’s unsure whether Woll stayed in Toronto or is back in the States, but regardless he would be the third goalie in the system, so he should be available once NHL resumes.
Even if he doesn’t play, it would be good for him to be there in practice to help ease Fredrick Andersen and Jack Campbell back into the fold, as they’ve more likely than not been off skates for the last 60 days.
It also may not feel like it, but Woll has been in the Toronto Maple Leafs system since 2016. Although he’s only played one AHL season, he’s made strides this year to show that he could be a future back-up goaltender with the big club.
Woll is only 21-years-old, compared to Kasmir Kaskisuo who is 26-years-old, so it would be even more beneficial to Woll’s growth if he stayed back and got some work with NHL players, even if it’s just in practice.
Kaskisuo has also been through a long playoff season in the pros, whereas Woll comes from the NCAA, which typically ends their season at the latest in early April. Therefore, it would be good for Woll to extend his summer and get more work in with the Leafs.
With a long lay-off, injuries are much more expected, so a third goalie is crucial to the organization at this time.
#4. Jeremy Bracco
I’ve been hard on Bracco throughout some articles on Editor in Leaf, but it’s only because he’s so skilled on the ice and I want to see him do it at the NHL-level.
Bracco is an interesting prospect because he’s lit up the AHL, but has yet to get a chance at an NHL lineup.
He had suffered some personal issues this year and there was talk that he requested a trade as well, so it hasn’t been the best of years for Bracco, but there’s still a ton of potential with him.
Bracco is also going to become a Restricted Free Agent this summer, so it could be in the Leafs best interest to get one more look at him before they make a decision on him.
Although it wouldn’t be a costly decision, there could be something he shows in practice, or even if he gets a shot in an NHL game, that makes them want to continue to sign him or look to trade him.
Similar to the argument with having Joseph Woll ready for action, when the NHL returns injuries are far more likely to happen. By not skating for months and being limited to home workouts, it’s possible that players haven’t treated their bodies to the highest degree, so a tweak of a hamstring or groin could be very likely for players.
That’s where Bracco would fit in.
Also, by keeping him on standby and potentially practicing with the team, it would make him feel confident that he’s almost ready for the NHL. There have been a number of players passed over him during his three years with the Marlies, so it would definitely boost his confidence if the Leafs kept him up for the meantime.
#3. Adam Brooks
With the Marlies season cancelled, Brooks still finished 10th on the team in scoring, despite only playing 29 games.
Brooks experienced his first NHL action this year getting called up for seven games. In that short stint with the Leafs, Brooks had three assists and zero goals.
Although Brooks is already 24-years-old, he’s a young 24. What I mean by that is that he played five full seasons of junior hockey before joining the Marlies, and has taken his time to develop.
There is nothing wrong with that approach, as although it’s taking him a little longer than some prospects, that hard work is paying off.
Brooks talked about his current season and actually alluded to potentially joining the Leafs if the AHL season were cancelled, in a piece by Kristin Shilton last month.
“There was definitely some ups and downs with the way I played [in the NHL] and things that I would have liked to correct. But just getting your feet a little bit wet, it allowed me to learn a lot. Even the things that didn’t probably go so well for me were still learning experiences that I’m able to correct and get better at, whether the season continues and I’m able to go back to the AHL, or maybe be a Black Ace for the Leafs. And then hopefully [take that] into next season as well.”
Brooks will definitely be a player the Toronto Maple Leafs look to stay close to the rink if the NHL resumes.
#2. Kenny Agostino
This was a toss-up between Agostino and Nic Petan, but I think the Toronto Maple Leafs would prefer to keep Agostino on standby despite Petan playing 16 games with the Leafs this year.
Based on Luke Fox’s tweet below, it was mentioned that Marlies coach Greg Moore was really impressed with Agostino’s development.
Outside of Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin, Marlies coach Greg Moore names Kristians Rubins, Adam Brooks, Teemu Kivihalme and Kenny Agostino as some of the players that really impressed with their development this season.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) May 11, 2020
For a 27-year-old who’s only played 85 NHL games, it would be very beneficial to the Leafs organization to keep him on standby during this time.
Agostino still has one year left on his contract, so it would be a huge confidence boost to keep him close to practice everyday. Agostino led the Marlies in scoring this season with 49 points in 53 games, so although he may never get into the NHL line-up this year, it would be a reward to show him he’s in the company of the other Leafs and could be a player that makes the leap soon.
There are few question marks with the Leafs bottom-six heading into next year as well, so if Agostino were to prove that he can skate with the big club, he could be a very valuable piece to the organization, especially with a salary of $737,500.
Agostino has showed his skill in the AHL so it’s time for the Leafs to get a serious look at him in an NHL jersey, even if it’s just on standby.
#1. Timothy Liljegren
Besides Rasmus Sandin who is technically a Leaf right now, Liljegren is the most fascinating Toronto maple Leafs prospect.
Drafted 17th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Liljegren could very well end up being the steal of that draft. In his third season with the Marlies, this year has been best offensively.
In 40 games, he has five goals and 30 points. Although he looked lost at times in his 11 NHL games, letting Liljegren develop in the AHL has been the best thing for him.
Gilman said Liljegren's game took a "tremendous step" this season. "The greatest impact, in my mind, was how he processed the game. I believe Timothy Liljegren is ready to be an NHL player."
— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) May 11, 2020
A ton of players get called up too early and then falter. It’s been a benefit to the career of Liljegren to give him lots of ice-time at the AHL level and ease him into the NHL.
Next. Top 10 Toronto Maple Leafs Busts. dark
As the best defenseman on the Marlies, Liljegren is a lock to be one of the players on standby and should be excited for his opportunity, if it arises.