The Toronto Marlies have a huge season ahead, as they will now be defending their Calder Cup title. They proved to be strong enough offensively, defensively and between the pipes to bring it home.
Now that the team has mainly kept the same roster, there are a few players who are must-see television for all. Those players are William Villeneuve, Ben Danford, Miroslav Holinka and Ryan Tverberg.
William Villeneuve
Villeneuve is looking to build off of a great year last season, where he led the Marlies blueline in points (30) and assists (27). Gearing up for another year, all eyes will be on Villeneuve with hopes of smashing that total, solidifying himself officially as the number one defenceman and moving him up the ranks.
What also makes him a must-watch is the fact that he recorded 23 points in 24 Calder Cup playoff games last year -- a driving force. A monstrous season is expected from Villeneuve, and everyone would be tuning in to see if he can either replicate or exceed his numbers from last year.
Ben Danford
This will be Danford's first season with the Marlies. He did spend some time with the team during the 2024-25 AHL playoffs, where he recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in 16 games played. Now, seeing as it will be his first full regular season, there will be a lot of hype and eyes on Danford to see just what the Maple Leafs' first-round pick can do in the organization with more playing time.
What should also keep eyes on Danford is the thought of seeing him and Villeneuve as a possible blueline pairing. Imagine that -- two young, up-and-coming defencemen dominating on the same line. Although an adjustment would have to take place for Danford to get used to the pace of a new league, having potential future Leafs blueliners pair up makes everything more exciting.
Miroslav Holinka
Much like Danford, this will be Holinka's first full season in the AHL, specifically in the Leafs organization. His reason for being must-see is the fact that he put up 80 points (37 goals, 43 assists) last season for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. That point total was good enough for second on the team, and the goal total led all Oil Kings skaters, so Leafs fans would have their eyes on him with hopes of that same stat line.
Holinka now being on the team makes this season more interesting for him as
he will have to help fill the shoes of Alex Nylander, who is on a PTO with the Calgary Flames. While Holinka is obviously not expected to put up jaw-dropping numbers, some consistent scoring is anticipated.
Ryan Tverberg
Tverberg was an under-the-radar forward for the Marlies last season, specifically in the playoffs, with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 24 games played. The 24-year-old was also not too bad in the regular season, where he recorded 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 63 games played.
What makes Tverberg more important this season is that he, much like Holinka, would have to help fill the void created by the Nylander departure. It's never easy to fill the void of a departed player, but with the trend that Tverberg has taken, everything should be just fine for him.
This season is huge. Not just for the Marlies, but for the players above, as some will look to continue their dominance and some will look to start their AHL careers on the right foot for a team that has just won a title.
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