Toronto Marlies off to a great start in the 2024-25 season
The Toronto Marlies are doing very well. They have started the 2024-25 AHL season with a 5-0-0 record for ten points to lead not only the North Division, but the entire AHL.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have looked decent through their first six games. However, their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, are doing very well. The Marlies have started the 2024-25 AHL season with a 5-0-0 record for ten points to lead not only the North Division but the entire AHL.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have some promising young prospects in their system. The Marlies have a nice balance of young prospects and veterans, some with NHL experience. A couple of veteran players are leading the Marlies in points right now. Logan Shaw leads the team with seven points (0 goals, 7 assists), and Alex Nylander has six points (5 goals and 1 assist). (Stats from eliteprospects.com)
Rounding out the top five in scoring for the Marlies is Roni Hirvonen with two goals and three assists for five points, Ryan Tverberg with five assists for five points, and Alex Steeves (4 goals) and Nikita Grebenkin (1 goal, 3 assists) are tied with four points each.
Not to be outdone, the Marlies goaltenders are playing well too. Steeves is now 11 points shy of the Marlies all-time record (168 points) held by Kris Newbury.
Toronto Marlies off to a great start in the 2024-25 season
Not to be outdone, the Marlies goaltenders are playing well too. Artur Akhtyamov has started his first AHL season with a 3-0-0 record and one shutout. He has stopped 80 of the 83 shots he's faced and has a 1.00 GAA and a .964SV%.
This is the 22-year-old prospect's first season playing in North America after leaving Russia and the KHL. Akhtyamov is a fourth-round draft pick (106th overall) of the Leafs from the 2020 NHL draft.
Veteran goaltender and two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray is off to a good start as well. Murray has a 2-0-0 record and has stopped 53 of the 58 shots he's faced.
He has a 2.50 GAA and a .914SV%. Both Murray and Akhtyamov have benefitted from Dennis Hildeby being up with the Leafs due to Joseph Woll being out on injured reserve.
With Murray, Hildeby, Akhtyamov, Woll, and Anthony Stolarz, the Leafs have strong goaltending depth for the first time in a while. It's a good thing to have, but one has to wonder if at some point, Leafs GM Brad Treliving will trade from his strength to fill a need elsewhere in the lineup.
manual
For now, the Leafs and Marlies fans can enjoy the depth.