We are almost at the holiday roster freeze in the NHL, which takes place from Dec. 20–27, 2023. This is always a good time to look at the American Hockey League (AHL) for your favourite teams and see who is standing out. For Toronto Maple Leafs fans, we will look at some names on their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, who are doing well this season. Some names could be seen as the ‘future’ of the team, as well as some players who are seasoned veterans who may be able to fill a hole when injuries arise.
Nick Abruzzese – Center/Left Wing
Nick Abruzzese has had a strange start to his professional hockey career. When he signed with the Maple Leafs out of Harvard University in 2021–22, he immediately reported to the NHL club. He appeared in nine games near the end of the season and scored one goal. However, after those nine regular-season games, he didn’t dress again that year. Mind you, the team was in the playoffs, and with him being played down the stretch, it gave the club the ability to give players some rest. It was bizarre, though, because he was sent down to the Marlies during the 2022–23 NHL training camp, and he played almost the whole season in the AHL. This season, Abruzzese was thought to be one of the players fighting for a spot on the fourth line, and again, he was sent down. It has proven to be the right decision by the Maple Leafs.
This season, he has been good with four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 21 games, which is second on the team in points. He and his line, consisting of Dylan Gambrell and Alex Steeves, have been good for the Marlies. The 24-year-old is on pace to have 14 goals and 41 assists for 55 points in 72 AHL games. He has played himself into a spot where, if an injury occurs to a forward on the Maple Leafs, he could hear his name called to join the club. He can also play down the middle or on the wing, and due to that versatility, he could have a long-lasting professional hockey career, regardless of whether that is in the AHL or NHL.
Dennis Hildeby – Goaltender
Does it not seem like we will eventually see Dennis Hildeby and Joseph Woll as the Maple Leafs’ one-two punch between the pipes in the future? Hildeby was a fourth-round draft pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and has progressed very nicely for the Maple Leafs. He is having an outstanding season for the Marlies, and when given the chance, he will be with the Maple Leafs in the future. He may even challenge for the backup role on the Maple Leafs next season if he continues playing as well as he has this season.
So far this season, he has a 5-3-2 record accompanied by a .927 save percentage (SV%) and 1.80 goals-against average (GAA), as well as two shutouts. He is second in the league in GAA and fourth in SV% – and he is still just a rookie in the AHL.
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This season, he has shared the crease with a few other goalies, such as Martin Jones who is now with the Maple Leafs, and Keith Petruzzelli. As a result, he has been limited to 10 games played, but the expectation is that he will eventually carry the load of the starts for the club. However, the coaching staff, led by John Gruden, will want to be cautious to avoid burning him out. Even if he gets 25–30 starts this season, it would still be a good rookie season, and that would put him somewhere around that 15-win mark based on the current pace that he is on. Although he could get 20 wins in 30 starts, depending on a few different factors. Regardless, if he can keep up this performance, or close to it, he could be given an opportunity if there is another injury to the Maple Leafs goalies that could keep them out longer-term, similar to Woll.
Honourable Mentions: Kieffer Bellows & Topi Niemelä
Alex Steeves – Left Wing
The aforementioned Steeves is the other winger on the Marlies’ second line alongside Abruzzese and Gambrell. He could easily be considered the best player on the team this season. Not only is he leading in points, but all around he has been good for the Marlies, which most likely is catching the eyes of Maple Leafs management. So far this season, he has 11 goals and nine assists, for 20 points in 16 games. This puts him on pace for 46 goals and 38 assists for 84 points in 67 games. Regardless of whether he hits that projection, he has still put himself in a good spot for a call-up.
The way that his season is going could have him take Bobby McMann’s spot on the Maple Leafs as the role player who plays every couple of nights to give Ryan Reaves a rest, as well as give the bottom-six a different look. He plays with speed and skill, which could fit well with Noah Gregor and David Kampf’s fourth line. Now the hard part is staying consistent, and while he has done that over his first 16 games, he still needs to keep that going throughout the season. Almost every player has his ups and downs, so if he can manage those and learn from them, he will be called up to the Maple Leafs at some point this season.
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Sometimes it is just better to have an entire AHL season under your belt so you can ride the wave of the ups and downs that come with professional hockey. Other times, it can stunt a player’s progression because, eventually, they feel they won’t be given a shot. Thankfully for the Maple Leafs, this shouldn’t be the case with any of these three players, but for Abruzzese and Steeves, if they continue to play this well, they could be used as trade bait. For a team like Toronto, NHL roster spaces are hard to come by, so if Abruzzese and Steeves aren’t making the NHL team anytime soon and there’s a trade that improves their team but involves one or both of these two, the Maple Leafs could say yes. Either way, for now, at least they are safe with the organization, and it is nice to see that they are having strong seasons so far. Hopefully, it will continue moving forward.