It's not going to be a good time looking back at this season of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but someone has to do it.
But we're not getting to the big names yet as we mark down who we thought had good, not-so-good, and terrible seasons for our Leafs. We need to cover our bases and look around at the small-time players first. The players who played a handful of games for the Leafs and did their job as mid-season AHL recalls.
You can't expect too much from players who might not have even played an NHL game this season, but regardless, here we are to jot down what exactly we thought of their cameos in the 2024-25 season.
Dakota Mermis
After several seasons bouncing around between various NHL organizations, Dakota Mermis signed a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs on July 2 last summer. A pure depth defenseman that can play in a very hard pinch, but will mostly serve as just a franchise farmhand in the minor leagues.
But, due to injuries to the back end, Mermis was called upon, eventually. The 31-year-old blueliner did suffer a jaw injury during training camp that delayed the start to his season. In late November, he was finally put down with the AHL Marlies on a conditioning stint. He had to pass through waivers once his conditioning loan was done and the dastardly Utah Hockey Club claimed him, played him in one single game against the Anaheim Ducks, and the Leafs promptly re-claimed him and sent him down to the AHL without any more trouble.
After getting his feet back under him, Mermis was needed as a warm body for the Leafs in the final closing days of the season with a couple defensemen out with injuries. He specifically appeared in three games for Toronto, played about 50 minutes, and earned on assist. Go Dakota.
Matt Murray
Murray's season was a complicated one. Clearly down with the Marlies as most fans hoped to never see him again in the NHL and just play out his season in the minors, he was depended on for a couple of appearances.
The 31-year-old netminder was recalled to the NHL on December 20, following an injury to goaltender Anthony Stolarz. In his first NHL start in nearly 21 months, he recorded 25 saves in a 6–3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. However, in his subsequent appearance on December 28, he allowed four goals on 31 shots in a 5–2 loss to the Washington Capitals, resulting in a .871 save percentage for that game.
But, while this is not a Marlies season review, Murray did play exceptionally well in the AHL. A .934 save percentage and 1.72 goals against average earned him the top spot in the entire league in both categories. He seems stuck in this limbo of either being an elite minor-league netminder but just not really good enough to stick with it in the NHL.
Alex Nylander
The brother of William was brought in on an AHL-only deal to start his season. An opportunity for him to play in the same city as his brother, Alex played fairly well down there with the Marlies. He eventually earned an NHL contract in November when Toronto was destroyed by injuries to their top-end forwards.
Nylander's time with the Maple Leafs was limited to five games, during which he failed to register a point. His performance was described as "just ok" by head coach Craig Berube -- a little punch in the gut -- who noted Nylander's struggles to keep pace with the team's speed. Consequently, Nylander was placed on waivers on December 11, 2024, as the team began to regain its injured players.
So, well, ah. Maybe it's not a good sign that the most memorable moments of Alex Nylander's season was being discredited by the Leafs head coach, and then being a typo on a playoff game sheet.
Jani Hakanpaa
Jani Hakanpaa certainly played a couple of NHL hockey games this season.
The 33-year-old defenseman was injured when the Leafs signed him to his one-year contract in September. He then went on an AHL conditioning stint with the Marlies and worked his way back up to the NHL lineup in November. Hakanpaa played two games where he was on the ice for just over 28 minutes total, and then was promptly injured once again. He didn't play a hockey game after that.
So, yeah.