Lost in the Shuffle: Don’t Count Out Toronto Maple Leafs Denis Malgin

Denis Malgin Will be Battling for a Top-9 spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs this upcoming season. Don’t sleep on him, he’s got something to prove.

Denis Malgin was brought over to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Florida Panthers in exchange for prospect Mason Marchment on February 19th. In 8 games before the pause with the Leafs and playing in a very limited role, Malgin wasn’t really given any time to mesh with the team.

Malgin is still young at 23 years old and has the potential to play anywhere in the top-9  with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. Malgin at a career PPG in the AHL is too good to go to the minors and has proven to be a worthy NHLer.

In 184 career games over four seasons with the Panthers, Malgin put up 28 goals and 60 points while playing no more than a fourth-line role. It’s obvious that given the right chance Malgin could produce.

While he didn’t score with the Leafs in eight games last year, when Malgin was on the ice, the Leafs 53% of the shot-attempts, 55% of the shots, and 53% of the scoring chances. (naturalstattrick.com).

This offseason, Malgin was an RFA with the Leafs. Dubas didn’t trade for Malgin just for him to release him in free agency, there is obviously something Dubas sees in the 5’9″ winger. Malgin was signed to a one-year $700 000 contract.

With the delay in the start of the next NHL season, Malgin went home to Switzerland on COVID-Loan to play for Lausanne HC. Since entering the Swiss-A League, Malgin has 7 goals and 10 points in 11 games. Here is just an example of the speed, agility, and hands that Malgin has been showcasing in Switzerland.

In case you were wondering, no, that clip is not spread up. Yes, Denis Malgin is that fast and agile. Sure you can argue how it’s on the European Ice surface so he has more space to accelerate and find lanes, but that doesn’t take away from the clinic he’s putting on there.

Now before you go and say Malgins old and has no ceiling to achieve, keep in mind that Malgin was only drafted in 2015. He is 23 years old and still younger than players like Egor Korshkov, Adam Brooks, and Pierre Engvall – who all at times have had their names called to be put down onto the opening night lineup.

Malgin is looked upon as someone who will be battling for a spot in the bottom-6, but I believe he could be battling for much more than that. Malgin could slide up and down the lineup to play with a John Tavares, Alexander Kerfoot, or Auston Matthews.

Also not to forget that Matthews played on the same line as Malgin back in 2015-16 when Matthews was playing in Switzerland – they could perhaps rekindle that fire and light it up on a line together.

If we start to look at the underlying numbers, Malgin has some interesting things to take into consideration. In 2020, at 5-on-5 Malgin has a CF% of 53.3%. Since entering the NHL, Malgin’s Corsi numbers have only rose. There’s a plus to his game.

I for one am a Denis Malgin fan and would love to see him play somewhere on the Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs lineup. It’s just a matter of proving he belongs.

Playing 8 games last season after being traded mid-season is not a good enough sample size to judge the kid. He obviously has skill and speed and with a full training camp, maybe he can become a regular in the blue and white.