4 Marlies that Deserve Being Called Up to the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a ton of depth but it’s continuing to grow now that the Toronto Marlies season has started.
The AHL announced the full Canadian Division schedule on Tuesday, so it’s now official that the Marlies will be playing hockey until mid-May this year.
After there was speculation of whether or not the Marlies and Belleville Senators were going to be able to play games in Ontario this year, we don’t have to worry about that anymore. Although it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to head down to Coca-Cola Coliseum to watch a game, it’s still encouraging that the AHL is underway.
Over the past few years, one of the Torotno Maple Leafs best assets was their farm team. By sharing the same practice facilities and having their AHL team play only seven minutes down the road from their NHL venue, this was a huge luxury for the organization.
Players such as Justin Holl, Travis Dermott, Zach Hyman and William Nylander are four examples on the Leafs current roster that benefited from playing on the Marlies. Although some needed the AHL experience more than others, it was a great developmental league for them and a place where many young players become professionals.
Here are four players currently on the Marlies roster that deserve to be called up to the Leafs this season.
No. 4: Kenny Agostino
Agostino is a veteran to professional hockey, but has yet to crack an NHL lineup on a daily basis. Since 2013, he’s played 85 career games and has eight goals and 30 points. Although he’s never been a regular, those numbers are definitely good enough for a third or fourth line role.
The 28-year-old has only been given limited opportunities in the NHL, despite producing at an extremely high level in the AHL. Agostino has had three 20-goal campaigns and he’s done it for three separate franchises, so no matter where he plays, he’s productive.
Here’s what Marlies coach Greg Moore told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox last summer about Agostino’s play:
“The last two months of the season, he was without a doubt our most consistent and best player. “He is a person who wants to be the guy that makes a difference for the team — and you could throw him in any scenario. He’s a competitor. He’s a good leader. Obviously has a real knack for the net and scoring touching and a great shot. Great person to be around.”
The Yale graduate is a left-winger and that’s been the Toronto Maple Leafs weakest position this season, so it’s unfortunate that he’s yet to be given an opportunity with the big-club. Agostino would unfortunately have to clear waivers in order to get called up, but it may be worth the risk to see if he can help out this roster.
No. 3: Joey Anderson
Acquired in a trade for Andreas Johnsson last October, Anderson was probably someone many Leafs fans didn’t know much about. The former third-round draft pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft is small in stature but can put up big points on the scoresheet.
The former captain of Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championships was an exceptional player prior to get drafted, but is just coming into his own as a professional. In his first full AHL season last year, he finished with 15 goals and 34 points in 44 games played.
As mentioned prior, the 22-year-old is small. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, his skill needs to make up for his size at the NHL level, so that’s one reason why he hasn’t been immediately called up. However, in six AHL games this year, his production has been great and could be someone worth taking a look at.
Anderson already has three goals and five points and is skyrocketing himself towards the top of the Leafs prospects list.
The Leafs bottom-six is pretty tough to crack based on the experienced players that are ahead of him in the depth chart, but Anderson doesn’t have to clear waivers in order to get called up. Therefore, he could bring some additional scoring or even help out the second power-play unit.
He could probably benefit from another full year in the AHL before getting called up to the Leafs, but a short stint with the big-club could be good for his confidence and based on his salary and contract structure, he’d be easy to slide in and out of the lineup.
No. 2: Timothy Liljegren
So, the Leafs decided to bring Martin Marincin in as their seventh defenseman, instead of Timothy Liljegren? Am I missing something about how talented he is?
Liljegren is currently in his fourth AHL season and although that sounds like a lot of nights on the farm, he’s still 21-years-old. He will turn 22-years-old before this season ends, but that’s still very young in regards to becoming a full-time NHLer.
In the moment, it seems like Liljegren will never get called up but he’s on a similar path as a few current Leafs. T.J. Brodie was 21-years-old when he started playing regular NHL minutes and Jake Muzzin was 23-years-old when he made the jump. As for Justin Holl, it wasn’t until he turned 27-years-old where he was an everyday player.
With the ability to order anything from our phones and have it arrive in minutes, as a society, we want everything to happen quickly. Even at this pace, Liljegren is progressing at a normal pace so we shouldn’t be too concerned with his development.
In six games, he already has five assists, which is tied for the lead in team defensemen scoring.
Although this isn’t a make-or-break year if he doesn’t get called up, he deserves an opportunity to show the Leafs if he can provide some depth minutes in the NHL. Mikko Lehtonen has been hit or miss as the seventh defenseman and you may have to trade Travis Dermott to help bolster the forward position, so showcasing Liljegren could make a Dermott trade easier.
No. 1: Nick Robertson
The obvious choice for a call-up this season is Nick Robertson, who probably wouldn’t have even been with the Marlies if it wasn’t for an injury he suffered in his first game of the season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs roster is already filled with crazy offensive talent, but Robertson’s arrival would boost that production even more. In a normal world, the 19-year-old wouldn’t even be allowed to play in the AHL, but based on the OHL shutdown, this could be the best thing that can happen to his development.
Jumping from junior to the NHL is tough for any prospect, no matter how talented they are. Robertson can now play against men and get prepared for his next step by playing with the Marlies. In six games this season, Robertson has one goal and four points.
His production isn’t mind-blowing or anything, but if you’ve watched the games, you’ve noticed him every time he steps on the ice. His speed, creativeness and ability to play a two-way game is something that’s been very exciting to see. He’s clearly in a class all by himself and the most exciting prospect we’ve seen come up since Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner arrived.
Drafted 53rd overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, it’s possible that Robertson will rise to a top-five pick in that draft once his career is over.
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Personally, I’d love to see Robertson play half the season in the AHL before getting called up to the NHL, just so he’s not rusty upon arrival. Similar to the Kasperi Kapanen call-up before the NHL playoffs a few years ago, the former Peterborough Pete could provide a huge spark to the team as they get set for their Stanley Cup run.