We are at a point in the off-season where most of the big signings have already been made so the only things we have to look forward to in terms of news are deep signings, contract extensions and the occasional trade here and there. This point in the offseason is referred to as the Dog Days of Summer, with two months remaining until the start of training camp and three months before the start of the regular season.
New Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treleving has done most of his work in the first two days of free agency, beefing up their offense with the signings of Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Dumy, upgrading the rear end with the signing of John Klingberg, and replacing a bunch of fists left behind by Wayne Simmonds. with those Ryan Reeves.
Assuming Treliving is standing on the free agent front going forward, the Maple Leafs front line will likely be affected as follows:
Tyler Bertuzzi – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
Matthew Kness, John Tavares, and Liam Nylander
Max Dumy – David Kampf – Kale Garnekrok
? – Sam Laverty – Ryan Reeves
There are still plenty of veteran forwards out there, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Maple Leafs fill this extra role with the Zach Aston-Reese type like they did last year. But on the other hand, there are plenty of forwards for the Toronto Marlies who are looking to get the last spot on the roster.
With forwards like Ronni Hirvonen, Dmitry Ovchinnikov and Ryan Tverberg all graduating to the Marlies, some players who got a taste of the NHL last year are looking to take the next step in 2023-24. It’s also important to note that Lafferty can play center and wing, so these Marlies positions likely won’t be as big of a factor as they usually are. So, who are the contenders for the spot?
Pontus Holmberg, C/LW
As it stands now, I think Holmberg is the most likely option to get the team out of training camp. He has more experience in the NHL than anyone else, and I would say impressed enough to still be a full-time NHLer in his time with the Maple Leafs last year, but he had the unfortunate disadvantage of injury insurance. Therefore, when the team was restored to health again, there was no longer room for it.
Pontus Holmberg scored 5 goals and 13 points in 37 NHL games and 10 goals and 22 points in 38 AHL games. He added 6 goals and 8 points in 7 playoff games.
A solid place in my Marlies tracked data. Here are his non-engstrams passes and assists this season. pic.twitter.com/56VGuuFjRo
– Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) July 6, 2023
However, the Maple Leafs’ sixth-round draft pick in 2018 contributed 13 points in 37 games during his tenure with the team, and was a huge playoff contributor for the Marlies as well, scoring six goals on his way to eight points in seven playoff games. His hockey IQ has always been the strongest part of his game, which will help his full-time transition to the NHL, and although his tackling ability and defensive game could use some work, I think the place Holmberg will lose is in training camp.
Bobby McMahon, C/LW
You might be thinking “Alex, if I’ve already settled on someone to take the job, what’s the point of previewing the rest of the candidates?” And the answer to that is that I am not the coach, nor do I make the decisions surrounding the team. Holmberg certainly has the best list of credentials, but if he had a bad training camp, those credentials would go out the window. So, we’re going to shed some light on the other nominees anyway, including Bobby McMahon.
Bobby McMahon scores on his fifth shot of the game.
He’s now scored 14 in his last 14 AHL games. pic.twitter.com/bETSfEyp4I
– Kevin Papetti (@KPapetti) February 20, 2023
Originally signed out of Colgate University under an AHL contract in 2020, McMann is the perfect example of a story that should inspire undesigned players everywhere. The now 27-year-old exploded with the Marlies last year, scoring 21 goals and adding eight assists for 29 points in 30 games. He got a small taste of NHL action with ten games, but only managed one assist. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound strong forward type who could be a great option on the fourth line with Ryan Reeves on the other side and, like Holmberg, also plays all three forward positions. Even if he didn’t take this job right out of training camp, I’d be shocked if he didn’t get at least one call-up during the season.
Alex Steves, LW
The only advantage Steeves has in his game over McMann and Holmberg is his speed. He is without a doubt the fastest Marley, and his speed was a big factor in getting him signed to a rookie contract in 2020-21. While both McMann and Holmberg just finished their first AHL seasons, the 23-year-old wrapped up his second season with the Marlies. With 51 points in 65 games this season and 46 points in 58 games last season, he’s definitely proven he can produce at the AHL level at this point.
Alex Steves scored Marlies’ first goal of the season.#Forever_papers pic.twitter.com/JZn2ypQxBU
– Nick Richard (@nickRichard) October 14, 2022
In the case of Steves, he’d probably have a knockout training camp to steal the spot from any of the players I just listed, but given the offensive ability displayed in the minors two years in a row, he might be hanging out as trade bait before spending another full year with the Marlies. His speed could undoubtedly add a boost to what is likely to be a sluggish tier six, but without Holmberg’s hockey IQ or McMahon’s physical frame, it would likely be difficult to get the team out of training camp. However, a strong September can make all the difference in the world.
Nick Abbruzzi, C
If Holmberg, McMann, and Steeves aren’t in the Maple Leafs’ system, Abruzzese is the one who would be right to make the team. But, that’s just not how the depth chart works, and since those three players are still very much present in the system, it’s going to be hard to get the roster out of training camp. But, as I’ve said at least twice, maybe three times, a good boot camp can make all the other factors go away. Abruzzese was a selection that baffled some at the time, as he was drafted as a USHL surplus in 2019, but a solid freshman season with Harvard saw him produce in more than a point-a-game clip, moving him up the prospects’ rankings.
Nick Abbruzzese (No. 26) has been hot and cold this year. I got 8 straight points, then went 5 games without one. Recently scored on 3 straight points up to last night’s game against Utica.
Totals (W): 48 GP, 15 grams, 35 points | 24 GF, 26 GA (EV) pic.twitter.com/Nb9MT8NlCP
– Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) February 17, 2023
He played his first full season with the Marlies last season, finishing with 48 points in 69 games and seven points in seven playoff games. One advantage he has is that because of the type of game he plays, you can probably get away with playing in the bottom six. But I think he’s more likely to start the season in the AHL and become a call-up option. He scored two points in two NHL games last season, albeit in a small sample size, so he’s probably getting another look sooner than we think.