A quiet Marlies playoff hero could be Toronto's cheap bottom-six answer

Ryan Tverberg has quietly been a key part of the Marlies run to the Calder Cup Final and he could be the perfect bottom-six option for Toronto come next year.

The Toronto Marlies took Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final against the Chicago Wolves after a two-goal effort from Vinni Lettieri and another great goaltending effort from Artur Akhtyamov, as the team remains three games away from glory.

However, while the team is certainly getting a lot of help from stars like Easton Cowan and Ben Danford meanwhile Logan Shaw and William Villeneuve have been the steady hands helping to guide the team, and there's one name who is just as important to their success that no one is talking about - Ryan Tverberg.

Ryan Tverberg has been a quiet leader for the Marlies despite being a 7th round pick

Tverberg, 24, was drafted 213th overall by Toronto in 2020 and he wasn't expected to make much noise, but he's been great so far in his time with the organization.

In 162 games he has 79 points (28 goals, 51 assists) to go along with a plus-19 and 74 PIM. He's a penalty killing machine who flies everywhere on the ice, loves to get involved in the dirtier areas and isn't afraid to throw down when needed.

Plus he's got a knack for playmaking and was instrumental in helping Toronto tie the game against Chicago on Friday night:

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Tverberg gathered the puck at the boards and put a no-look tape-to-tape pass onto Cedric Pare's stick, giving him a chance to tie the game. You don't expect that from a guy who isn't viewed as a top playmaker, and it shows he's got a lot more talent than maybe his draft placement suggests.

This postseason he has 12 points in 20 games, 17 PIM, and a plus-5, so not only has the defensive side been there but he's actually sitting fifth on the team in scoring and is only one point behind Easton Cowan - a pretty impressive achievement.

Tverberg's style of play fits perfectly with Toronto's bottom-six

With the Maple Leafs having a roster overhaul in the coming weeks and months, they are going to need cheap and reliable replacements for depth players like Calle Jarnkrok and Tverberg fits the bill.

He's young, is a two-way player who loves to get aggressive and will certainly be motivated to stay at the NHL level. He is an RFA though he probably won't be that expensive, so re-signing him for a million dollars or less isn't a bad call especially when he offers so much.

Toronto pretty much has Steven Lorentz and Dakota Joshua while they also may have Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson if they re-sign. If not, they have a shortage of bodies and Tverberg is sitting right there. It would not be hard to give him a look, though he does have the potential to be lost on waivers.

There are a lot of players who deserve a look however Tverberg has shown consistency for the past few seasons, offers a lot of different avenues for the Maple Leafs to utilize him (PK, 3/4 line winger, agitator) and he fits the youth quota at a tenth of the price of someone like Jarnkrok.

If the Marlies win the Calder Cup and Tverberg plays a crucial role as he has all postseason, then the Maple Leafs may have no other option than to give him a job come October.

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