The Marlies playoff run is the most important thing in Toronto right now and the entire offseason leans on it
The Toronto Marlies playoff run has more than the Calder Cup at stake, as the Maple Leafs offseason hinges on many of their prospects making the leap forward.
John Chayka's Maple Leafs need to get rid of Calle Jarnkrok, Steven Lorentz, Simon Benoit, and Philippe Myers immediately. Their AHL team is right in the thick of the playoffs and has some dominating players. It's time to make the smart decision and replace the entire bottom-six for cheap.
Though they lost their most recent game to the Cleveland Monsters, the Toronto Marlies are tied 1-1 in the series and have put together a solid playoff performance thanks to a perfect blend of veteran talent and rookie potential.
Easton Cowan, Jacob Quillan, Luke Haymes, and William Villeneuve have all been key parts of John Gruden's lineup but you can't count out veterans like Vinni Lettieri, Alex Nylander, and Logan Shaw.
It's been a great season for everyone involved, and the longer they keep playing, the more important their production level is going to be considering that Toronto could very well replace their entire bottom-half of their lineup with them and save some serious money.
Jarnkrok, Myers, Benoit, and Lorentz played 239 combined games and need to immediately be replaced
That quartet really didn't do much all year. For some reason, Toronto gave a ton of attention to Jarnkrok (at the cost of Easton Cowan's development) as well as factoring Myers into their top defensive pair at times.
239 games but only 34 points and a staggeringly bad minus-49 combined. Benoit was aggressive and someone who was physical and aggressive, but his defensive awareness at times has seriously cost Toronto goals.
Jarnkrok started the season with three goals in three games then had five total points over the next 68. For a guy who has a 20-goal season and several 30+ point seasons under his belt; it was absolutely subpar.
Lorentz was someone who had a fantastic season last year which earned him an extension and then suddenly he forgot how to play hockey. He had 18 points which was about average but his defensive game took a big hit, and he wasn't as physical or gritty as he was in 2024-25.
Myers was so bad that he was nearly on the ice for four goals against per game (per Hockey Reference) and he offered no real help on offence and the defence was atrocious. Myers was coveted so heavily that he earned a two-year deal without even playing a game yet - and that commitment was a bad decision in hindsight.
Though Jarnkrok is a free agent, they can't even think of bringing him back and most certainly not at his current deal of $2.1-million. Combined, the four players make $5.65-million to do absolutely nothing of note meanwhile Toronto has their replacements just sitting in the AHL.
Lettieri, Haymes, Quillan, and Villeneuve aren't only Toronto's bottom-six replacements but incredibly cheap as well
Taking a look at who the Marlies are getting help from and what they're able to do so far in the postseason then you've got some pretty solid players who can help out now.
Villeneuve is a name who fans are quite familiar with as he finally got his shot after over 200 games with the Marlies. He currently leads all defencemen in scoring this postseason and with the need for Toronto to get some serious puck-movers on the backend; he makes sense.
Plus he would be a godsend on their second power-play unit as that's where he's thrived especially alongside another name who needs to come in - Vinni Lettieri.
Lettieri, 31, is a veteran of 155 NHL games but comes armed with a ton of AHL experience and someone who has proven he can produce when it matters most. A mainstay on the power-play, his shot-first mantra, tough as nails nature and aggressive style of play is a perfect veteran replacement for someone like Lorentz.
Plus he's also near the top of the AHL leaderboards for scoring and he's more than earned his shot back in the NHL.
Quillan had a brief stint with Toronto this year but never had more than a few minutes per game. He's a speedy defensive centre who isn't afraid to get in the middle of things but definitely needs a bigger look at the NHL level.
Haymes is pretty much in the same boat as Quillan as both were NCAA studs though Haymes has proven to be a solid secondary option with five points in eight postseason games.
Villeneuve and Quillan are RFA's this summer so they're playing for a big deal, meanwhile Lettieri is a free agent but can easily be signed for the league minimum come July 1. They could combine to make about half of what the old lineup did, and every penny is important.
But John Chayka has a real chance to solidify his lineup for next season without breaking the bank and ensuring his AHL players get the attention they deserve because it's about time they did.
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