The Toronto Maple Leafs called up 10 players from their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, on Sunday, May 1st; one day ahead of the Leafs first Stanley Cup playoff game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The move makes sense for the Toronto Maple Leafs, since unlike the regular season, there is no limit on roster size or team salaries during the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Toronto Marlies were unsuccessful in procuring a seed in the AHL playoffs.
Any player with their NHL rights owned by the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the NHL Trade Deadline (March 21st, 2022) who is signed to an NHL contract is eligible to join the team for the playoffs.
Most of these players are unlikely to get into an NHL Playoff game this year, but they do provide depth and insurance for when injuries occur. It also provides these players with a great opportunity to hone their skills while working with the Toronto Maple Leafs development staff.
The Toronto Maple Leafs 10 Marlies Call-Ups
Nick Robertson (F)
Joey Anderson (F)
Alex Steeves (F)
Brett Seney (F)
Pontus Holmberg (F)
Dmitry Ovchinnikov (F)
Kristians Rubins (D)
Mac Hollowell (D)
Filip Král (D)
Michael Hutchinson (D)
Robertson, Anderson, Steeves, Seney, Rubins and Hutchinson have all played in games for the Toronto Maples during call-ups this season. Nick Robertson scored one goal in 10 games with Leafs while Alex Steeves had one assist in three games. Michael Hutchinson was winless in two games with a .857 save percentage during his stint with the Leafs this season. (Stats from Sportsnet)
Notable eligible Marlies not called up by the Leafs include Carl Dahlström, Joey Duszak, Mikhail Abramov, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Chad Krys, Teemu Kivihalme, Carter Hutton and Joseph Woll.
It’s difficult to find information about AHL injuries, but Woll has a documented shoulder injury and Der-Arguchintsev (7 games), Abramov (2 games) and Dahlström (1 game) have all missed recent games with the Marlies. They could all join the Leafs when healthy.
Carl Dahlström has two assists in three games with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. He had an assist in his most recent Leafs game on April 24th but was returned to the Marlies when Jake Muzzin returned from injury. Joseph Woll went 3-1-0 with a .911 save percentage with the Leafs this season.
The most concerning non-callup may be Joey Duszak who was revealed as a healthy scratch by Marlies coach, Greg Moore, following the Marlies final game on April 30th despite the defensemen being awarded a spot on the AHL’s 2nd All-Star Team.
Duszak, 24, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 13th, and rumors say he requested a trade before the NHL Trade Deadline. His future in Toronto is uncertain despite being one of the AHL’s premiere offensive defensemen.