Training camp should be interesting for the Maple Leafs with at least four Marlies that could challenge for an NHL roster spot this season.
While all the focus will be revolving the Maple Leafs’ vaunted top-6 and the new-look blueline in Toronto, the bottom of the lineup leaves a lot to be desired, but perhaps that was Brad Treliving’s plan all along.
The Leafs have a bunch of prospects and players that have been marinating in the minors for a few years that could not only push for a roster spot with a strong showing in training camp, but even for those who don’t make the team, training camp will provide them with a golden opportunity to make a good first impression on the new coaching staff in hopes of landing their names on the shortlist of potential roster recalls, should injuries arise.
Alex Steeves, Nick Abruzzese, and Ryan Tverberg aren’t high-end prospects by any stretch of the imagination, but they have shown a proclivity for offensive production at the AHL-level for the Toronto Marlies.
Steeves, a Saint Paul, Minnesota native, is set to turn 25-years-old in December but has 3 very productive AHL seasons under his belt. During his rookie season, Steeves scored 23 goals and 46 points in 58 games, which he then followed up with a 51-point season in 65 games played in 2022-23. This past season was his best yet as he posted 27 goals and 57 points in 65 contests. He has seen 7 games with the Maple Leafs since 2021-22 but has just 1 assist to his name.
Then you have the fourth round pick from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in Abruzzese who improved from his 48 points in 2022-23 to 52 points in 2023-24. While playing for Harvard University at the collegiate level, Abruzzese tallied 23 goals and 77 points in 59 games played across 2 seasons. The 25-year-old from Slate Hill, New York has proven his worth in the minors and even has 1 goal and 2 assists in 11 NHL contests across 2 seasons.
Tverberg was a 7th round pick from the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and is coming off a rookie season where he tallied 32 points in 46 contests for the Marlies. He spent the previous 3 years at the University of Connecticut where he was coming off successive seasons with 30+ points. The Richmond Hill native is expected to be handed a larger role for the Marlies this season but if he continues to improve, the Leafs will assuredly give him a call should an opportunity open up.
On the back-end, the Leafs have a few options, but none more intriguing than Topi Niemala. The third rounder from the 2020 draft is coming off of a rookie campaign where he tallied 8 goals and 39 points in 68 games. He spent the previous 4 seasons with Karpat of the SM-liiga in Finland before finally making the jump to North America at the end of the 2022-23 season. The right-handed shooting defenseman presents the Maple Leafs with a two-way option should any of their NHL-rostered defensemen fall to injury or inconsistencies.
As of right now the bottom of the lineup will more than likely be run by players like David Kampf, Ryan Reaves, Calle Jarnkrok, and Pontus Holmberg but should the Leafs feel the need for more youth, speed, and offensive skill, they have plenty of options to choose from in the minors.
Even beyond the fact that these younger players could put more pressure on the veterans in training camp, injuries are a part of a gruelling 82-game season, and depth is the name of the game for most contending clubs.
With players like Steeves and Abruzzese, the Maple Leafs are in good hands and that’s also not accounting for the possibility that an Easton Cowan or a Fraser Minten wins a roster spot out of camp.
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