Four Maple Leafs Players Who May Start With AHL Marlies, But Get NHL Opportunites This Year

Although it’s only the beginning of August, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2023-24 lineup is more or less set. There could be a couple more moves – a trade for star San Jose defenseman Erik Karlsson is still a possibility – but by and large, Leafs GM Brad Treliving has put together a deep, talented roster that will be one of the better ones in the NHL.

However, injuries inevitably play a factor in every team’s season, and Toronto’s team will, at some point, have to lean on their younger players to fill some holes that appear over time. Here (in no particular order) are four Leafs younger players who likely will start the coming season with the American League’s Toronto Marlies but who will be recalled at some point to the NHL roster.

1. Alex Steeves, forward.

The 23-year-old Steeves had a cup-of-coffee stint with the Leafs last season, appearing in three games without recording a point. But in his past two seasons with the Marlies, he’s generated 42 goals and 97 points in 123 games. The former NCAA star doesn’t have a lot of bulk with his 5-foot-11 frame. Still, this coming year, his salary cap hit of $834,167 (all financial details via Cap Friendly) is precisely the kind of low-risk, high-reward value Treliving needs for Toronto’s bottom-six forwards group.

Steeves (and the other players on this list) has been pushed down the Leafs’ depth chart by the signings of wingers Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi, and there’s almost no chance he begins the season on Toronto’s NHL roster. But if Toronto needs assistance, Steeves will be one of the leading candidates for a promotion. From there, it’s up to him to justify a longer look at the NHL level and, in a best-case scenario, carve out a roster spot for himself, allowing Treliving to trade a higher-priced veteran such as winger Calle Jarnkroc possibly.

2. Bobby McMann, forward.

McMann worked his way up to the NHL level from the NCAA and the ECHL in recent years, appearing in his first 10 NHL games this past season and recording one assist. But after posting 24 goals and 35 points in 61 games with the Marlies in 2021-22, McMann exploded for 21 goals and 29 points in only 30 AHL games last year. He’s a blue-collar worker bee who may never see any time in Toronto’s top-six forwards group, but the Leafs don’t need him to play such a role.

McMann is in the final year of a two-year contract with a cap hit of $762,500, and next summer; he will be an unrestricted free agent. But it’s easy to see a scenario in which he signs a contract extension mid-season and get another opportunity to stick with the NHL roster next season and beyond. McMann is 27 years old, so he’s probably not going to grow his game beyond what it is at the moment, but if he can provide speed and energy, Leafs management will be happy with that and keep him around.

3. Nick Abruzzese, forward.

The Leafs just signed Abruzzese to a two-year extension that will pay him $775,000 at the NHL level. The former Harvard University star is only 24 years old, but in 2022-23, he amassed 32 assists and 48 points in 69 games with the Marlies, and he has 11 games of NHL experience in the past two seasons. Sooner or later, Toronto will give him another shot at an NHL job, and when he gets it, Abruzzese needs to capitalize before he becomes a career-AHLer.

At 5-foot-10, Abruzzese is another Leafs prospect who doesn’t have much size to depend on, but if he asserts himself with smart, defense-minded play, there’s likely to be a spot for him in the NHL. That spot may wind up coming from another team, but Abruzzese can make a name for himself by making the most of whatever opportunities the Leafs can offer.

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4. Dylan Gambrell, forward.

Over parts of the past four NHL seasons split between the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators, Gambrell has played 182 games and recorded 17 goals and 40 points in a bottom-six role. He agreed to a one-year, $775,000 contract with Toronto in July, and while he’s not likely to begin the coming season as a Leafs regular, he may be leaned on to provide speed and energy to Toronto’s fourth line.

The 26-year-old Gambrell isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off with brilliant play with the puck, but if he can limit his mistakes and win puck battles along the boards and in the neutral zone, Leafs’ coach Sheldon Keefe will reward him with more NHL opportunities. Gambrell can operate under the radar to begin 2023-24, but Leafs’ injuries will provide him with a window to make himself essential to the NHL roster and keep him around the Leafs in practices and limited game time.