Maple Leafs Prospect Emerging as Early Favorite for Marlies Call-Up This Season
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
For Maple Leafs prospect Jacob Quillan, he could earn himself an early call-up given his early production and his impressive performance during the Prospect Showcase.
There's a lot of talk about which Maple Leafs prospects are going to make the biggest shine not only in the Prospect Showcase but also as the season goes on with the Marlies or their respective junior squads.
No doubt a lot of attention is placed on Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Artur Akhtyamov and Noah Chadwick, but there are a lot of other names to be excited about.
Luke Haymes, John Prokop, Ryan Kirwan, Landon Sim and Matthew Barbolini are going to be solid pieces for the Marlies and could find themselves as Maple Leafs in due time.
What Sets Jacob Quillan Apart From Toronto's Other Prospects
However one name who stood out above the rest in the Prospect Showcase and who could genuinely earn one of the first call-ups this year is center Jacob Quillan.
Making his NHL debut last season, Quillan has a lot of potential as a solid two-way forward who can play smart, play hard, and give the team a fighting chance every night, but it was his first prospect game this year that had people talking.
Prospect scout Ryan Ma commended Quillan for his game on Saturday, and mentioned that the young forward brought exactly what Toronto needs from a young future impact player:
Jacob Quillan did everything I loved about his game in this one. Super defensively responsible, coming down low in board battles and supporting his defensemen, committed to backchecking.
Really active stick in this one, poked away a bunch of pucks from dangerous areas, and really just showed he was a man amongst boys on board battles. This is a pretty big and hefty Sens blueline, and Quillan hung in there and won more than his fair share.
Really active stick in this one, poked away a bunch of pucks from dangerous areas, and really just showed he was a man amongst boys on board battles. This is a pretty big and hefty Sens blueline, and Quillan hung in there and won more than his fair share.
In addition to his stellar defensive game, he added a goal too after keeping the puck in the offensive zone.
His versatility and growth as a men amongst boys is certainly a big factor in earning a call-up again and potentially for longer than one game.
In his three seasons at Quinnipiac University, Quillan posted 93 points (38 goals, 55 assists) including scoring the game winner in the Frozen Four leading the school to its first ever championship.
Why Quillan Could Be the First Forward Called Up This Season
Well given that he already earned one call-up last season, he's definitely in the holster for Craig Berube and Brad Treliving to fire off the moment they need some help.
While there's nothing to say that Toronto is going to deal with a lot of injury issues this year, they do have a problem with staying healthy at times and aren't able to really rely on players beyond Michael Pezzetta or Travis Boyd.
Sure they have NHL experience, but Quillan provides a great dynamic in addition to youth which is something an aging Maple Leafs lineup needs an injection of.
Plus if he continues at this pace and starts to really put up serious offensive numbers while making sure his defensive game stays in tact, it'll almost be undeniable to bring him in.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 14 | 748 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Prospect Emerging as Early Favorite for Marlies Call-Up This Season Should Jacob Quillan make the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025-26? | ||
| Yes | 330 | 44.1 % |
| No | 418 | 55.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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