Per Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jacob Quillan stands a reasonably good chance of playing NHL games this season.
The Maple Leafs are entering a critical juncture, with new deals beginning for Auston Matthews and William Nylander and the current contracts of John Tavares and Mitch Marner set to come to a close at the end of this season. It’s very possible that this team will never be the same again, which makes this season all the more important.
With a team like the Leafs, who have committed so many cap dollars to 4 forwards, having the ability to utilize inexpensive contracts to augment the main group is vital for the organization. We have heard a lot about the potential that exists for Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten to make the team out of training camp, but there are few other prospects who have been mentioned as having the potential to see NHL action this season, Quillan included.
As mentioned at the top of this article, Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould views Jacob Quillan as a prospect who could very well have his number called this season. Why? Well, there are a few reasons, but perhaps the most convincing reason is his affinity for playing a strong 200-foot game and his ability to kill penalties.
“The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-born Quillan was named the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player in 2023 after scoring three points in a 5-2 win over the University of Michigan and the overtime winning goal in the National Championship game against Minnesota. Quillan followed that up with 46 points in 39 games as a junior at Quinnipiac in the 2023-24 season, after which the Leafs signed him as an undrafted NCAA free agent. According to Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis, «his growth the past two years, his cheap AAV and his ability to kill penalties and draw energy makes [Quillan] an interesting bottom-line option.”
-Mike Gould on Quillan
-Mike Gould on Quillan
The 22-year-old center prospect notched 17 goals and 46 points in 39 games for Quinnipiac University last season before getting a 7-game trial run with the Toronto Marlies in his first taste of professional hockey.
Quillan does seem like a long shot to start the season in the NHL, but with a strong showing for the Marlies in the early stages of the season, he may open up an opportunity for himself later in the season, as Gould suggests.
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