The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of the dog days of the regular season, and it has been a slog unlike any they have experienced over the past decade. Unlike in years past when the thought in the back of everyone’s minds was who would be an ideal matchup in the first round of the playoffs, fans are instead counting down the days until the campaign mercifully comes to an end.
The team is in this position largely of their own volition, with a flurry of mistakes in the last few months that have put them in a spot where they will be missing out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016. What makes the situation far more dire is the fact that the Leafs aren’t guaranteed to draft a player in the first round that could help turn around their fortunes unless the pick falls in the top five. That, in combination with GM Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube being lame ducks, makes this a mess for everyone involved that shows no signs of improvement with the current setup in place.
With little else to play for but pride, this should be the time to take a longer look at some of the younger prospects in the system who are either on the verge of taking the next step or due for a new contract and their future needs to be determined soon. Yet at the time of filing, the only players that the Leafs have called up from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies who have played games for them since the trade deadline are Bo Groulx and Michael Pezzetta, both of whom aren’t prospects. Whatever might be the cause of this doesn’t really matter; what does is that failing to bring up anyone is an egregious error that will do long-term harm to the team until it is rectified.
One aspect of the Leafs’ season that has been well established is just how little the roster has changed throughout the season. Treliving did not make any moves of consequence before the trade deadline apart from a few waiver claims, and no Marlie other than Dennis Hildeby saw significant game action in that same time span. There have been some players rotating in and out due to injuries or whatnot, but the makeup of the lineup is pretty much the same now as it was at the start of the season.
It is a cataclysmic mistake beyond just the collective results of the season to this point: it is the lack of vision in wanting to see if there is anyone in the system who could be a better option than what is currently available. It has made zero sense that guys like Calle Jarnkrok, Philippe Myers, and Simon Benoit continue to get significant playing time when they have struggled mightily to provide a positive impact for a sustained period of time. Players such as William Nylander and Matthew Knies are clearly not operating at 100% right now, and it would be in the team’s best interest to shut them down early to get a head start on their recovery. Even the young guys who are already there in Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan have had their work cut out for them because Berube seemingly doesn’t trust younger players.
You’re not going to get anything of value by inserting Jarnkrok and Myers into your lineup for the umpteenth time when the fate of the season has already been sealed. What will be beneficial is bringing up more players from the Marlies and seeing if they have a place in the team’s future.
It has been well established that William Villeneuve has proven to be worthy of a look with the Leafs after taking significant strides in his development over the past two years. He was present during the Olympic break with the NHL squad but never got his shot, which needs to be immediately rectified given he will be an RFA this summer. The same goes for Ryan Tverberg, who has quietly put together a solid bounce-back season with 31 points in 57 games after recording only 11 points in 46 games the year prior. Luke Haymes has taken a step forward in the second half of this season and has earned at least a game or two trial run as a reward for his efforts. Even Marshal Rifai should be given more of a chance to show what he can do than the brief appearance he got earlier this year.
Bringing up these younger Marlies and letting them show what they bring to the table will give Leafs fans a legitimate reason to watch what would otherwise be meaningless and skippable games. No one is interested in seeing players like Jarnkrok and Myers who are well-established and likely to be heading elsewhere in the offseason anyway because there is nothing new to be learned from that. Getting to see where Villeneuve, Tverberg, Haymes, or Rifai are at and if they could be part of the solution is far more valuable both right now and down the line. Especially given that the majority of the players listed are waivers exempt and can be reassigned back to the AHL once the season is over without any issues.
Groulx has certainly proven in his nine-game stint with the Leafs that he could be an option for them next season, but he can’t be the only one they take a long look at. There’s no question that the Leafs’ farm system collectively is not quite up to snuff, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely devoid of talent and that means potential options for them to use in 2026-27 and beyond. Even with all of the uncertainty surrounding Treliving and Berube’s job status, they will be doing the Leafs a disservice by not giving these younger Marlies a chance to show what they can do and determine whether or not they can help play a part in the team’s efforts to rebound next year.
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