The Toronto Marlies played their last game of the month against the Cleveland Monsters on Nov. 29 and were shut out 2-0, bringing their record to 10-2-2-3. Their next game is on Dec. 6 against the Laval Rockets.
The Marlies’ special teams continued to contribute to their success in November, but not to the same level as in October. Their penalty kill and power play were still key in these games, but their perfect record on the penalty kill was broken. Many key players who saw success in October were called up to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the team needed players to step up in their absence. Here’s a look at our three stars for November.
Third Star: Topi Niemela
Heading into this season, I had high hopes Topi Niemela would have a breakout campaign. He could have been more aggressive in the first month of the season, taking only five shots on goal and recording three assists. However, in November, he demonstrated improved puck control and more determination to lead the offense.
In nine games, Niemela had five assists and eight shots on goal. With players like Alex Nylander out of the lineup, it opened up room for him to control the puck on the blue line more and shoot more. His shorthanded assist also showed his growth on the penalty kill.
With his productive November, he is now the leading scorer among Marlies defensemen with eight points.
Niemela has exhibited confidence and calmness, demonstrating excellent composure with and without the puck. He made intelligent plays during breakouts and consistently retrieved pucks before his opponents. Furthermore, he showed to improve his strength to handle physical engagements and battles on the ice effectively. His increase in shots has helped the team generate more high-scoring chances in front of the net, leading to high-danger rebound shots.
Niemela has been a crucial part of the Marlies’ offence with many good players with the Maple Leafs, and he continues to show why he deserves a look on the NHL roster in the future.
Second Star: Nick Abruzzese
Like Niemlea, Nick Abruzzese had a rocky start to the season. He finished October with only two goals and an assist and relatively-low shooting numbers. But in November, he capitalized on being moved up the lineup and looked much better. He recorded two goals and five points in the 10 games and just came off a four-game game-point streak which ended when the Monsters shut the Marlies out.
His shooting has also drastically improved. In October, he finished with just seven shots on goal, while in November, he had 18. Abruzzese is not expected to be a high-volume scorer; he finished with 16 goals in each of the past two seasons with the Marlies, averaging around 125 shots. It’s his playmaking that stands out, finishing with more than 30 assists in the past two seasons.
Related: Toronto Marlies’ 3 Stars of October
The fourth-round pick from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft hasn’t seen time with the Maple Leafs since 2022-23, and he is now in his third season with the Marlies. He has demonstrated his ability to shoot the puck but hasn’t taken enough initiative to drive the offence himself, often relying on teammates like Logan Shaw, who he centers and looks to for playmaking support. The Marlies have a strong two-way system, and having a more aggressive Abruzzese take the initiative to find his shot and generate plays might take him to the next level in his career.
First Star: Nikita Grebenkin
Nikita Grebenkin’s first month with the Marlies was a solid debut for a player transitioning from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He finished with two goals and three assists for five points — scoring both goals on the power play — and displayed his style of play by disrupting goaltenders in front of the net and cleaning up the rebound shot.
Grebenkin continued his strong rookie season with the Marlies before he joined the Maple Leafs. In the six games he played in November, he recorded two goals and three assists, including a power-play goal and a short-handed assist.
He saw the most production and comfortability in a line pairing with Fraser Minten and Nylander. When deployed with those two, he was able to use his skill set and strong physical play in front of the net while showing off his effectiveness as a playmaker, especially with a fast, skilled shooter like Nylander. Grebenkin also demonstrated strong puck-cycling abilities, withstood physical pressure from bigger players, and maintained possession to create scoring chances like his solo effort against the Belleville Senators on Nov. 16. After winning the faceoff, he recovered the loose puck and, with some nifty puck movement, quickly fired off a shot with little room.
His exceptional playmaking skills allow him to create high-danger scoring opportunities, like his primary assist against the Monsters on Nov. 2. After almost finishing a great move that saw him dance around two defenders, he is able to find the loose puck in a scramble in front of the net and control it to find Marshall Rifai to take the lead in the second period. He has been receiving consistent top-six minutes with the Marlies, which highlights his offensive skills effectively.
November was not as good a month for the Marlies as October as they finished with a 4-2-2-2 record. They played against top contending teams in the AHL like the Monsters, Rocket, and Hershey Bears. Currently third in the North Division, they are only four points out of first place with three games in hand against those above them in the standings.
