Following Monday night’s commanding win over the Calgary Flames, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to keep the energy going into Wednesday’s tilt vs. the Colorado Avalanche. Ahead of the game, former Toronto captain John Tavares was on the scene to talk to media about some of the hottest button issues surrounding the Leafs right now.
As per usual, Mitch Marner continues to be the talk of the town after massive rumours surrounded his name leading into this year’s trade deadline, most notably regarding a possible trade to acquire Rantanen. Despite the noise and criticism, Marner has managed five points in five games since the March 7th deadline and is still on track to tie his career-high of 99 points, chasing that elusive 100-point benchmark. Tavares shared his perspective on how Marner has managed to block out all the noise surrounding his name to keep playing his game.
Bet on the Leafs vs. Rangers: Same-Game Parlay for Tonight’s Matchup
“Yeah, he’s been great,” said the veteran forward. “I think the easiest part, I think probably when there’s a lot of noise around things, is you can just go out there and put your gear on and play and do what you’ve done your whole life, and it’s something that you love to do.”
Marner’s reported refusal to waive his no-movement clause at the deadline caused a stir in Toronto, especially considering he could still walk for nothing when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Tavares added that the hometown kid still loves playing here and giving his all despite the criticism.
“Obviously tremendous competitiveness, desire, all those sorts of things to make it to this level and play for this club,” he continued. “Certainly being from the GTA, from the city, I know how much he enjoys it and appreciates it, just with the locker room and support around us, it’s a very tight knit room. It’s a brotherhood in a lot of ways in how we all are always there to support each other.”
After being promoted to captain this season, Auston Matthews has seen slower production while also dealing with a number of injuries throughout the year. Tavares offered some perspective on the guy he passed the torch to in the off-season.
“I think over the last couple of weeks he has been phenomenal and certainly, you know, wants to be that driving force and set that example and play it at a very, very high level,” said Tavares. “Obviously contributes in so many different areas and obviously can put the puck in the net as good as anyone in the world and did it in a huge way for us the other night.”
Although Matthews’ two goals and one assist were the main attention-grabber, Tavares made sure to shout out the little things he does so well, too.
“It’s also his ability to win face-offs, playing the penalty kill, his competitive level on pucks, winning battles, things like that,” Tavares said. “How he uses his body, those little things that that accumulate throughout a 60-minute game that are just extremely impressive and and set a tremendous example for the group and pull everyone along.”
Headed into their second match of the season against the Avalanche, Tavares also touched on the red-hot Nathan MacKinnon, who currently leads the league in points, with 16 in his last nine games.
“He’s just seemed to, a number of years ago, just really find something about himself that’s just allowed him to take off to be one of the best players in the world,” he said. “To just be so dynamic and be so hard to play against and difficult to defend and one of the toughest challenges you’re gonna face in the game.”
The Maple Leafs will host a dangerous Avalanche team on Wednesday night and hope for a better result than the 7-4 loss they suffered immediately following the trade deadline. Tavares knows all too well that MacKinnon and the Avalanche aren’t a team you can take lightly.
“He’s an extremely competitive guy from from being around him a little bit and getting to know him and how hard he works, how diligent he is about his preparation and his craft and how great he wants to be. So, playing against a player like that at this level, the player that he is is always a lot of fun and a great challenge.
Recent articles from Dylan Nazareth
- Tavares speaks about noise around Marner, Matthews’ leadership, containing MacKinnon
- Flyers GM Daniel Brière discusses Scott Laughton trade, how he’ll fit with Toronto on Leafs Morning TakeReport: Hurricanes asked Maple Leafs for Mitch Marner in potential trade for Mikko Rantanen
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has preached the importance of playing north-south hockey throughout the year, and it’ll be a point of emphasis during Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.
After a lull throughout March, Toronto’s offence exploded in a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday.
“If you look at the first period, and the predictability and the directness of going south, going north, putting pucks at the net, recovering them, not hesitating, moving it quick, shooting it again, recovering, we were on our toes and we won a lot of loose puck recoveries, a lot of shot attempts. We didn’t (go) back with the puck, we moved it up. We got to do the same thing tonight.”
Berube has emphasized a simple game for the Maple Leafs, but it hasn’t always translated into offensive success. Toronto ranks 14th with 135 goals at 5-on-5, while ranking 23rd in shots, and there’s been an over-reliance on the team’s top-six to generate offence for large stretches of the year. With the playoffs on the horizon, Berube and several players, including Anthony Stolarz, have spoke about the importance of getting back to basics, which ought to lend itself well to success.
Colorado presents a real challenge, with all eyes on Nathan MacKinnon, who leads the NHL in scoring with 103 points through 68 games. The reigning Hart Trophy winner could be in line to repeat this year, with his all-world speed and shooting ability always commanding the opponent’s attention.
“Well, I don’t know. But if you find out before the game, you can let me know,” Berube said with a laugh, when asked about the answer to solving MacKinnon.
“You just got to stay up on top of him as best as you can. It’s just like playing (Connor) McDavid. They’ve got great speed, they’re competitive guys with tons of skill. It’s about trying to slow them down. Picking them up in the neutral zone, trying to get on top of them, deny them the puck as much as possible, deny them time and space, it’s all the same things every coach does.”
Cale Makar is contesting for the Norris Trophy once again, and the Maple Leafs have often struggled to contain elite defencemen activating off the rush.
“Even more difficult. He’s obviously a great player, and again, it’s a lot of the same things: getting above him as much as you can and trying to make him work in his own zone. Tonight, we’ve got to make this team play in their own end as much as possible, and it’s important when that’s happening, that we get some good line changes and get fresh people on the ice, make them extend their shifts on the ice.”
In several respects, the Avalanche represent a blue-print for the Maple Leafs, boasting elite talent across the board that emerged together to win a Stanley Cup in 2022. It ought to be a high-octane game, where Berube’s principles will be put to the test.
This may be the beginning of the end for David Kampf’s tenure as a Toronto Maple Leaf.
The checking centre has recently lost his spot in Craig Berube’s lineup due to the addition of Scott Laughton, and with Max Domi currently holding down the third-line centre position after being reunited with Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann, Kampf no longer has a secured spot with roughly a month until the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Kampf has appeared in 52 games this season for the Maple Leafs, scoring four goals and 10 points. He’s averaging 12:25 of ice time per game, which is a career low, and with Laughton and Domi under contract for next season, and the possibility that John Tavares will re-sign for one more contract with the Leafs this summer, Kampf has quickly become the odd man out.
The 30-year-old Czechia native has two seasons left on his contract, paying him $2.4 million annually. Kampf owns a 10-team no-trade clause for the 2025-26 season, however, there isn’t any trade protection on his deal for the final season in 2026-27. It’s hard to say if Treliving was looking to move Kampf before this season’s trade deadline, as he was certainly a ‘throw-in’ candidate, considering his cap hit, and who the Maple Leafs were tied to in trade talks.
As far as a buyout structure goes, if GM Brad Treliving decided to go through with this option in the summer, the Maple Leafs would carry the following cap hits for the next four years:
|
Season
|
Kampf’s Cap Hit
|
|
2025-2026
|
$1,683,333
|
|
2026-2027
|
$1,683,333
|
|
2027-2028
|
$358,333
|
|
2028-29
|
$358,333
|
It’s going to come down to if Treliving can find a suitable trade partner, or use the offseason buyout window if the team is looking to move on from the veteran centre. Any deal would, of course, have to make sense for Treliving, and it’s likely he’d have no interest in moving Kampf if there required to be a sweetener in the trade. With just under $800,000 in cap savings for the next two seasons, if Treliving feels that money could be better suited somewhere else in the lineup, and there’s no longer a role for Kampf to play with the Maple Leafs, it’s certainly not out of the question to see Toronto’s GM cut ties.
Kampf last played on Mar.13 against the Florida Panthers with only 8 minutes and 41 seconds of ice time against their Atlantic Division rivals. Berube has been looking for more of an identity of late on the Leafs’ fourth line, and Scott Laughton, who is a much more physical presence and has more offensive upside, has been slotted in Kampf’s spot. For now, he doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
As we enter the home stretch of the 2024-25 season, the Maple Leafs have turned a corner. They’re playing with more urgency, Berube’s been happy with their effort level, and their current winning lineup doesn’t appear to be something the head coach is considering changing at this time. This leaves Kampf in a very tough spot. He’s on the outside looking in for now, which could very well turn into becoming a free agent this summer, as the Maple Leafs could be heading in a different direction this upcoming offseason.
With the NHL Trade Deadline having officially passed, the Toronto Maple Leafs have their group set going forward. Despite names like Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg having their names float around the media circuit for no reason other than they’re young NHLers who could be appealing to rebuilding teams, they were spared from any deals, with the Leafs opting to part with first-round picks and prospects instead. The fact that Connor Dewar was shipped to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a draft pick and Ryan Reaves was waived prior to the deadline also helps Robertson and Holmberg’s odds of staying in the lineup going forward.
This also suggests that while, at one point, it may have seemed as though the Leafs had to choose one or the other when it came to dressing their 12 forwards, head coach Craig Berube seems totally content with having both players in the lineup. Robertson has been scratched here and there following the deadline but with the reunion of the Robertson-Max Domi-Bobby McMann line on Monday against the Calgary Flames, this may be a unit Berube wants to stick with going forward. So where does that leave Holmberg? The third-year NHLer and first-time full-time NHLer has spent a lot of time skating with John Tavares and William Nylander on the second line, which at first, seems like a strange call considering his lack of offence. He has only 15 points in 55 games this season and is two points off of his career high of 17, which he achieved in 54 games last season.
Holmberg almost looks like a placeholder for that second line considering the massive gap in offence between him and the other two forwards on it, but we’re past the deadline now, so who is he holding a place for at this point? The answer may be nobody, and although the 26-year-old probably wasn’t a leading contender to play in the top six, he’s changed some aspects of his game that make the decision a little more justifiable, even if he’s still there when the playoffs roll around.
The main thing about Holmberg’s game that’s different in 2024-25 is his role. He recognizes that despite being close to a point-per-game player in his final season over in Sweden and in a small sample size with the Marlies last season, that’s not as easy to come by in the NHL. He was never a regular player under former head coach Sheldon Keefe, appearing in 37 games in 2022-23 and 54 games last season, but he’s on pace to play 70 games this season if he stays in the lineup. And even though he’s likely not going to hit the 30-point mark, he seems to gain confidence the more he’s trusted by Berube.
Holmberg’s role in 2024-25 has been more geared towards maximum effort, strong puck battles, and being a pest to opposing players. Although playing the pest role hasn’t long been part of his game, he’s recognized that he needs to do something to stick out from the other players who don’t have a guaranteed roster spot, and that’s what he’s done. He currently sits 11th in the NHL in drawn penalties, which has paired beautifully with a Leafs power play that’s been on a heater in the new year, sitting fourth league-wide since January 1st and seventh league-wide overall. You see him making noise in the scrums more often than not, which you never would have associated with his game style last season, but that’s where he is.
The fact that Holmberg only has six goals sticks out like a sore thumb when you see him next to Tavares and Nylander on the lineup card, who have 27 and 38 goals, respectively. But there’s more to the game than just goals. Assuming the Leafs plan to stick with Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner as their top line and the Domi/Robertson line as a third unit, Holmberg has brought the most to the table from an analytical standpoint to the Tavares and Nylander line. That line has a 57.14% expected goals (xGF) rating with Holmberg on it compared to 47.08% without him, their high danger chance percentage is 61.11% with him compared to 52.05% without, and although the overall possession numbers could be better overall, their 47.84% Corsi-for rating is with him is better than their rating of 45.57% without him.
All of this is to say that Holmberg isn’t getting these opportunities for no reason. If he wasn’t getting engaged physically, going into the dirty areas, and grabbing the attention of opposing players in the scrum, he wouldn’t be getting second-line minutes. Depth scoring has been an issue for the Leafs all season long, so the skepticism when they put one of their less-productive players with two of their most-productive players is justified at least on paper. But looking beyond that, it’s important to recognize what the Leafs’ 2018 sixth-round pick has done to his game this season. Sure, the Leafs will probably have eyes on a true second-line forward this summer, but it’s clear that Berube’s trust in Holmberg indicates a regular roster spot for the rest of the season and into next year as well, even if it’s not on the second line.
Defenseman Noah Chadwick is quietly becoming one of the better blueline prospects in the team’s pool, thanks to his notable strides in development over the past few seasons. The Saskatoon native was taken by the Maple Leafs in the sixth round, 185th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. Since then, his production has increased with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League and he has done an excellent job at pushing himself to be a better, all-around defender.
Chadwick’s efforts have led to him even being considered for the Canadian National Junior Team, playing at the World Junior Summer Showcase this past year. 2023-24 was the best season of his junior career. In 66 games, he posted 12 goals and 44 assists for 56 points, even getting the chance to play one game with the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, before the end of the regular season. His play last season convinced the Leafs to sign him to a three-year, entry-level contract in December 2023. He was named captain of the Hurricanes prior to the 2024-25 campaign and has been a part of another playoff-bound team in Lethbridge. In 64 games, he has scored a career-high 13 goals, registering 39 assists for 52 points with a plus/minus of +12.
Daily Faceoff draft and prospect expert Steven Ellis admits that Chadwick’s game has improved a lot over the past couple of seasons but says there’s one part of his skill set that he is lacking.
“The biggest issue,” Ellis wrote. “Something that was exposed at the World Junior Summer Showcase – is his skating. Chadwick isn’t quick and he struggles in transition. He’s likely a depth defender at this point, but there’s been enough progression in his overall game to suggest he’s got a good work ethic and is adaptable. Toronto doesn’t have many notable defenders in the system, so turning a sixth-round pick into an NHLer would be a major win.”
When TLN’s Nick Richard broke down Chadwick’s game prior to the new season, he highlighted the 19-year-old’s ability to get the puck up the ice and create opportunities in the offensive zone.
“Chadwick’s intelligence and vision with the puck on his stick are the foundation of his game,” Richard wrote. “He has shown an ability to create space for himself and open up passing lanes for his teammates with subtle fakes and delays. Chadwick isn’t a high-end skater at this stage of his development, but he is a smart skater who always keeps his feet moving to take advantage of the space around him, and he is always looking to make a play rather than simply dumping the puck away from harm.”
One part of Chadwick’s arsenal that has a little more to be desired is his defensive game overall. He has certainly made strides each season in Lethbridge, but if he wants to become an impact player when he makes the jump to the pros, he needs to get a little quicker and develop a stronger awareness. Richard wrote about the importance of Chadwick’s size and how well he uses it.
“His length and reach are differentiators at the junior level, and he is effective at angling off attackers and taking away space in defensive transition.”
Chadwick is in what will likely be his last season in the WHL before he joins the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies next season. If his newfound offensive game continues to develop at the pro level and he proves he can handle the uptick in speed and physicality, he could see himself as a call-up candidate for the Leafs as early as next season.
Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the current owners of the franchise, finished just below average in the rankings ahead of the Boston Bruins and behind the Nashville Predators. The Tampa Bay Lightning placed first in the survey while the Buffalo Sabres were dead last.
MLSE’s biggest strength in the eyes of the fans who conducted the survey was the team’s willingness to spend, which they ranked fifth in that category. After all, the Leafs spent big at the deadline acquiring Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton while making a push this past offseason to nab Chris Tanev right before the start of the free-agent frenzy. They are the most valuable franchise in the league and it makes sense that they can use their financial capital which the fans seem to appreciate.
However, MLSE is placed in the bottom third of the NHL in every other major category which are organizational stability, franchise vision, and treatment of the fans. The last one is their worst one of the lot as they placed 29th, which could stem from the team’s overall struggles in the playoffs as well as their 58-year Stanley Cup drought. What also doesn’t help is the constant complaints from fans of the experience at Scotiabank Arena being quiet relative to the size of the fanbase.
The stability and vision could see improvements over the years once Rogers takes over complete control of MLSE after purchasing the shares from Bell and Larry Tanenbaum makes his exit, though that depends on how the Leafs do. It helps that MLSE CEO Keith Pelley seems to believe that every major player in the Leafs’ front office is aligned and that could lead to better chemistry down the road.
However, not all fans are convinced this will be the case as some responses in the survey expressed their concerns about whether the ownership is indeed in it to keep the Leafs competitive on the ice.
“Have been systemically unable to turn revenue advantage into a performance advantage. Steadily losing market share in Toronto and generational interest.”
In any case, being right around average could be seen as just about right given the state of affairs for the Leafs. They have no business being in the top 10 as it stands but are not bad enough to be in the bottom 10, so middle of the pack seems fair.
The 2024-25 campaign has seen the 30-year-old take a step back offensively with 28 points (six goals and 22 assists) compared to the year prior where he flirted with 50 points. There were flashes where everything had come together for Domi followed by lengthy droughts in between.
But things have started to click for Domi of late with four points (two goals and two assists) in his last four games, right around the time the intensity of the competition has ramped up.
“For me, I think Max Domi’s game has gone to another level and that’s the difference,” Berube said to reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “He’s way more aggressive. He’s being the player like we want him to be where he’s in people’s faces, he’s disrupting things, he’s using his speed. And he’s a playmaker, he can make plays. The guy can pass the puck. But for me, it’s about the skating.”
It started with a dominant shift on Thursday against the Florida Panthers where he laid a big open-ice hit on Carter Verhaeghe and then demolished Nate Schmidt in a fight at centre ice shortly after. Domi came up big later on that night with a breakaway goal to cut the deficit to one and got the crowd roaring as a result.
While the Leafs ultimately fell short to their divisional rivals, he gave his team a fighting chance with his tenacious play and desperation.
“His 200-foot play. He was making plays in the D zone,” goalie Anthony Stolarz said after Thursday’s game. “He’s got one hell of a shot. When he can get it off and open space like that, he’s going to beat a lot of goalies. So hopefully this is the start of, a little hot streak for him and he gets a little confidence going forward here.”
Jumping ahead to Monday night when the Leafs were eager to end the lengthy skid, Domi got reunited with his most common linemates of Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann. Though there were questions about why the line was put together considering it meant dropping Scott Laughton to the fourth line, the trio each got on the scoresheet and were noticeable every time they stepped on the ice.
Berube knows that they can go on lengthy droughts but always feels compelled to put the line together because they can create magic offensively when they are clicking.
“You get a little combination, you get a little speed on the wings right? Robby finishes, he finished tonight. Max made some plays,” he said about what makes the line work after Monday’s win over the Calgary Flames. “But the line to me tonight, they had the hound mentality. I thought they were all skating, working, in the face of the other team, didn’t give them time and space and that was key to the line tonight, in my opinion.”
The Leafs will need all the help they can get from everyone in their lineup, not just their core four pieces. If they continue to get this high level of play from Domi going into the playoffs, it will go a long way to increase their chances of making a meaningful run in the playoffs.
Well, that was more like it.
It was a fantastic St. Patrick’s Day for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
How sweet do those St. Pat’s jerseys look?
Jay Rosehill was back in the mix for the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take. We kicked the show off by giving our initial thoughts on the convincing win over Calgary. In six outings, the Leafs ended up going 5-0-1 on Prime Monday Night Hockey this season. Not too shabby!
Thanks to Tim Hortons, we offered a thorough dissection of the 6-2 win. The big boys were awesome. Auston Matthews notched two goals and one assist, William Nylander chipped in with one and two, and Mitch Marner tallied two apples. They led by example. That’s what you need sometimes. On top of that, the third line of McMann, Domi, and Robertson was superb. If this team’s going to do anything substantial this spring, they will need second/tertiary scoring. It’s a good start. That said, they need to find a way to keep things going. Consistency is the key here. Furthermore, we also gave some love for the special teams as both the PP & PK went 3-for-3 on the night. Without question, the Rosehill turning point in the game happened when the Morgan Frost goal was called back due to an offside. Luck of the Irish?
Then, thanks to Charm Diamond Centres, former NHLer and 2006 Stanley Cup champion Mike Commodore dropped by the show. As per usual, he was very colourful as he weighed in on this Leafs team and if they have what it takes to go far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Additionally, Commie looked back at his Cup winning season in Carolina and we tried to find some ways to relate it to this Leafs team with the postseason just around the corner. Lastly, after years of sitting on it, Rosey shared his Alex Ovechkin story in Vegas from a few years ago. Funny enough, Commie had a similar one to share. What are the chances?
At any rate, be sure to join us on Wednesday at 11 AM as we tee up the fourth and final game of Toronto’s home stand as Nathan MacKinnon and company invade Scotiabank Arena.
You can subscribe to TheLeafsNation (TLN) YouTube channel HERE. Additionally, we’re available in podcast form, too —wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re at it, be sure to leave us a 5-star review!
Toronto held its annual team photo day at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday morning, before getting ready for Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube reunited Auston Matthews with Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies, while restoring the third line of Bobby McMann, Max Domi and Nick Robertson. Both units were excellent on Monday, as Matthews scored two power play goals, while the Knies-Matthews-Marner line outshot the Flames 6-1 with a 95 percent share of the expected goals via Natural Stat Trick. As for the third line, McMann, Domi and Robertson all scored, while outshooting the Flames 7-4 in just under nine minutes together.
“The urgency in the way we came out and played, shot pucks, and our temps were way up. We were right on top of them. There was no room for them, so that was the key start of the game for us,” Berube said following Monday’s victory. “Our power play was very good tonight, obviously, and our PK did a good job. Those are big parts of the game. The challenge, our video guys did a good job there. It was taking a little longer than I thought. They told me we were 110 percent sure.”
At the time of this filing, Toronto’s starting goaltender hasn’t been confirmed for Wednesday’s game. Anthony Stolarz could start, after Joseph Woll started Monday. Toronto is slated to play a back-to-back, squaring off against the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Easton Cowan
Cowan hasn’t had the same kind of explosive season that he had a year ago when he earned regular season and playoff MVP honours on his way to leading the London Knights to an OHL championship, but he has looked a lot more like that player in recent weeks. He started off last week with four primary assists in a 7-3 drubbing of the Guelph Storm on Tuesday, added two more helpers in a 3-1 victory over Saginaw on Friday, and extended his current point streak to nine games with two goals and an assist in a losing effort against Windsor on Sunday.
Over that nine-game point streak, Cowan has compiled a staggering nine goals and 14 assists, elevating his season totals to 29 goals and 39 assists in 45 games. Even with his recent run of dominance, he is still tracking well behind the numbers he produced last season, but that was always going to be difficult to replicate. If Cowan can maintain his current level of play heading into the postseason, he and the Knights will be well-positioned to find playoff success once again.
Dennis Hildeby
After a disjointed start to the season that saw him spend as much time serving as the Leafs’ backup as he spent in the Marlies’ net, Hildeby has come on strong as of late. He started back-to-back games for the Marlies this past week, stopping 24 of the 26 shots he faced in a 4-2 win over the Providence Bruins on Wednesday, and he allowed just one goal on 22 shots in a 3-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday. Over his last eight appearances, Hildeby has put up a save percentage of .919, and for the season, he’s up a .906 save percentage through 22 games.
Noah Chadwick
Chadwick hasn’t had the benefit of long hot streaks or huge nights on the score sheet, but he’s been about as consistent as any prospect in the Leafs’ organization – not only this season but dating back to last year as well. He scored his 13th goal of the season against Medicine Hat on Friday, establishing a new career-high, and he tacked on an assist in Saturday’s loss to the Calgary Hitmen. Chadwick is up to 52 points with just a couple of games remaining in the regular season, a couple of points shy of the 56 he finished with last season. With his size and offensive toolkit, the biggest adjustment for Chadwick when he begins his professional career next fall will be the pace of play and finding a way to defend consistently at that level, but it’s looking like the Leafs might have something here.
Jacob Quillan
Marlies head coach John Gruden has leaned more heavily on Quillan since the departure of Fraser Minten at the trade deadline, and Quillan has been up to the task. In the five games since then, Quillan has served as the team’s second-line centre, and he has put up three goals and two assists in that span. Now the top centre prospect in the organization, the Dartmouth native has seized the opportunity in front of him in the early going, contributing on the scoresheet in a big way while also playing a strong 200-foot game and being trusted on both special teams units. There might not be a clear path to more NHL playing time this season, but Quillan is putting himself in a good spot heading into 2025-26.
Miroslav Holinka
Holinka continued his solid rookie season in the WHL this past week, tallying two goals and an assist in three games. For the season, Holinka is up to 18 goals and 25 assists in 45 games while predominantly filling the role of first line centre for the Edmonton Oil Kings. His numbers don’t exactly jump off the page for draft+1 player in the CHL, but there are a lot of projectable tools in Holinka’s game that give him a chance to be a solid pro. The two-way game continues to come along, he’s got good hands in tight spaces, and he has started to show some more creativity as a playmaker. Since Holinka was drafted out of Europe before coming over to the CHL, the Leafs have the option to sign him and have him begin his pro career with the Marlies next season, so his situation will be one worth monitoring.
Psst…. @MapleLeafs
Miroslav Holinka has a goal and assist already this afternoon!@EdmOilKings | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/MgwgTB6L5L
William Villeneuve
Villeneuve is a player who just keeps looking more and more comfortable as the season goes on, and he has continued to be a productive piece for the Marlies from the back end. With three assists against Providence on Wednesday and one more in each game against Charlotte over the weekend, the soon-to-be 23-year-old blueliner has seven points in his last four games and has established a new career-high with 29 points in 42 games. He isn’t quite knocking on the door to the NHL just yet, but it’s safe to say that he has put himself in a good spot to earn a second contract with the Leafs this offseason and a chance to continue his development in the organization.
