I can’t believe that the NHL season is already a week old. So far, we have seen Auston Matthews score back-to-back hat tricks and William Nylander continue his confident play from last season. However, within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, it isn’t just the NHL club that we should keep an eye on. The Toronto Marlies kicked off their 2023-24 campaign on Oct. 14, and there were some very good performances.
The Marlies dropped the first game of their new season with a 5-4 loss in overtime (OT) to the Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres American Hockey League – AHL – affiliate). They did, however, get their first win of the season against the Utica Comets (New Jersey Devils AHL affiliate), beating their former starting goalie, Erik Källgren, 5-2. There were a few standouts in those games who could be on the shortlist to be called up, which Leafs Nation should keep an eye on. The earliest this would happen is if youngster Fraser Minten is returned to the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) or if there was an injury on the Maple Leafs.
Pontus Holmberg
Pontus Holmberg is a name that many people in Leafs Nation thought would be in the NHL to start the 2023–24 season. Unfortunately, the Maple Leafs signed Noah Gregor to a professional tryout (PTO), and because he impressed the coaching and management staff, the club signed him to a contract. As a result, Holmberg was sent down to the start of the year, but there is hope for him yet. As mentioned before, Minten could be loaned back to the Blazers in the WHL after his nine-game trial, and since Minten is the third-line centre, Holmberg could be the replacement. He would slot into the fourth-line role, and David Kampf would most likely be promoted to the third line.
So far with the Marlies, Holmberg has a goal and an assist for two points. It is nice to see that he can find the scoresheet. However, when he does get called up to the Maple Leafs, his role wouldn’t be to score. Yes, it is a bonus, but it isn’t going to be his main focus. He would be on the checking line alongside Gregor and Ryan Reaves, playing around 10 minutes per game. His line’s focus would be to provide a spark to the rest of the team as well as get the puck into the offensive zone and work the cycle to wear down the defence. It wouldn’t be surprising if we saw Holmberg in the NHL within the next month. He proved last season that he can be a player that head coach Sheldon Keefe can rely on, and he may even earn a spot on the penalty kill.
Nick Robertson
Does it not feel like Nick Robertson has the short end of the stick? During the COVID-19 bubble playoffs in 2020, he was deemed the top prospect for the Maple Leafs. He was posting videos on Instagram that had Leafs Nation hyped at his skills, and after his final junior season, where he had 55 goals and 31 assists in 46 games, the hype seemed real around him. Now it is 2023, and he has failed to make the Maple Leafs out of training camp in the last three seasons. With that said a part of the problem is due to the salary cap and the lack of space that the Maple Leafs have. However, he could have played himself into a spot over Gregor, who, as previously mentioned, was signed to a contract at the end of training camp. Unfortunately, he didn’t, and he found himself down in the AHL with the Marlies.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Prospect Report: Akhtyamov, Tverberg & Cowan
Let’s not panic yet, as there could be a chance that after coming off a season-ending injury to his shoulder, the Maple Leafs felt that it was better for him to start in the AHL. This could get him back up to game speed and ensure that he can find his form before making the call to bring him back to the NHL. Similar to Holmberg, though, the cap can mess up development. If Minten does return to the WHL, Robertson may very well be the top player on the list to be promoted.
In terms of lines for the Maple Leafs, it works, as Max Domi, William Nylander, and Gregor can all shift over to the middle of the ice. Although it doesn’t seem likely that Nylander will, the team did experiment with that in the preseason. The player that most likely moves to the middle of the ice is Domi, and then Robertson could join him on the third line as well as Calle Jarnkrok. Through two games with the Marlies, Robertson leads the team in points. He has two goals and three assists for five points; he also has 11 shots. So he is doing what the team wants him to do. If he can keep up this pace, or close to it, he would be my vote for the first major call-up to the NHL this season.
It’s early, that’s obvious; however, Leafs Nation needs to keep a close eye on players in the system. Both Robertson and Holmberg could be NHL players, but now that they’ve started in the AHL, how long will they stay there? Also, how long will they stay in the NHL before being sent down? Only time will tell, but keep up with the news surrounding the Maple Leafs and Marlies because it feels that Minten could be sent back to junior, which means someone will be recalled from the AHL.
