Maple Leafs Prospect Showdown Roster Reveals Surprising Line Combos
Photo credit: STEVEN ELLIS/DAILY FACEOFF
With the Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Showdown taking place Saturday and Sunday, the team has official announced the lineups taking the ice this weekend.
The NHL Prospect Showcases are going to be taking place in the coming days as teams take a look at their rookie pieces and see who might be the next big stars to lead their team to glory.
Toronto has a slate of games coming up this weekend against both Ottawa and Montreal as we get to see names like Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, and Artur Akhtyamov show fans and coaches why there's a lot of potential surrounding them.
But how is the team actually going to lineup this weekend? Well, now we have an idea thanks to Maple Leafs insider Nick Barden.
Barden posted the lineup in addition to the power play units as we get some interesting combinations spread throughout:
How the Maple Leafs' Prospect Lines Reveal Early Clues About Management's Plans
It's not too shocking to see Cowan on the top line, same with Quillan who made his NHL debut last year. Valis earning a top spot is interesting though he did have an 81-point season last year so they'd love to see what he can do in high-stakes situations.
NCAA signing Luke Haymes is anchoring the second line, and he could very well be a solid part of the Marlies this season. Also interesting to see is the fourth line with Tyler Hopkins, Landon Sim, and Ryan Kirwan.
Hopkins was considered a steal this year, and Sim just won a Memorial Cup alongside Cowan in London, and Kirwan was a standout NCAA player. Having a group that has so much offensive and defensive talent could lead to a lot of interesting decisions down the line.
On defense, Danford and Chadwick are arguably the top two defensive prospects in the system and provides both that defensive versatility as well as a lot of offense in Chadwick and both are going to be big parts of the defense in the coming years.
It's clear the team wants to see what Cowan, Quillan, and Marlies mainstays like Matthew Barbolini and Braeden Kressler get some more premium ice time and might be in-season call-ups at some point.
Which Leafs Prospects Have the Most to Gain - or Lose - From This Weekend
No doubt the spotlight is going to be heavily focused on Cowan and Danford as the top prospects in the system, but for guys like Miroslav Holinka, Quillan, Haymes, and Ryan Tverberg.
Toronto just signed Holinka, who has quickly grown into a potential dark horse steal himself, meanwhile Quillan has proven that he can come in and help out at the NHL level; he's earned that trust from both Craig Berube and Brad Treliving clearly.
Haymes is a player who could come out of nowhere to surprise a lot of people and if his history at Dartmouth is any indicator; he could be a fantastic two-way presence in due time and is only 22 (much like Matthew Knies was when he broke out).
For guys like Matthew Hlacar, Rylan Fellinger, Tverberg, Barbolini and Vyacheslav Peksa though, it's going to take a lot for them to burst onto the scene and might been seen as depth more than anything.
Hlacar is a hulking enforcer who can throw punishing hits but could be seen as a proto-Ryan Reaves. Fellinger is a big right-handed defender but is incredibly raw and won't be a factor especially with Toronto's defensive setup.
Tverberg has spent three seasons with the Marlies since being signed out of the University of Connecticut, and has put up decent numbers but really has only a bit more time left to get it done (43 points in 99 games).
Barbolini is kind of in the same boat as Tverberg though has less time with the Marlies. He's a big power forward who can definitely help out but might need to find his offensive game quick with the Marlies, especially with guys like Valis and Haymes nipping at his heels.
So this weekend is going to be a huge test for not only coach John Gruden, but for Craig Berube and Brad Treliving because the future of the team could heavily depend on this two-game exhibition.
TRENDING NOW
