The Toronto Marlies turned a forgettable Maple Leafs season into something worth remembering, and they did it by going all the way. Toronto’s AHL club stormed through a playoff run and finished it by winning the Calder Cup, the second championship in franchise history.
That kind of run doesn’t happen without contributions across the board. The veterans did their part, but a big chunk of the credit goes to the prospects who kept pushing the team forward. As the Marlies head into the 2026-27 season, these five players stand out as the ones worth tracking closely.
Artur Akhtyamov sits at the top of the list for a reason. He was a huge part of the Calder Cup push, flashing highlight-reel stops on his way to a .923 save percentage and a 2.22 goals-against average. That earned him playoff MVP honors, and the Marlies needed every bit of that composure and competitiveness to stay alive night after night.
With both Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby being moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Akhtyamov now looks like the goalie of the future. He’s the starter for the Marlies, and the expectation is that he’ll get even more work as he keeps developing.
He essentially forced general manager John Chayka’s hand, and the organization is now betting on his progress. Having Sergei Bobrvosky around as a mentor could be a major help in camp or if a call-up becomes necessary.
Ben Danford also made his mark in a busy year. He turned heads in the Maple Leafs’ preseason, then carried a leadership role on a loaded Brantford Bulldogs team in the Ontario Hockey League. Even without a championship at that level, he showed the kind of two-way, defensive game that makes him so appealing.
Once his junior season ended, Danford jumped right into the Marlies lineup and handled the transition to pro hockey well. That matters, because it showed he could keep his game steady while moving up the ladder.
Miroslav Holinka took a big step forward with a breakout season that produced 80 points in 59 games. He also delivered in the Western Hockey League playoffs, where he showed he can come through in the clutch and score important goals. That kind of postseason showing pushed him up the Maple Leafs’ prospect rankings.
Holinka brings a smart, dependable two-way game, but the offense is what really stands out. He has a great shot, can be dangerous in open ice, and has a knack for deception.
He also sees passing lanes well and keeps plays alive, which makes him the kind of player who can create offense even when nothing looks open. The Marlies already have some scoring talent, but he’s another player who can give them a real boost.
Luke Haymes finished his first full pro season on a much stronger note than he started it. His second half earned praise from head coach John Gruden, and he even got a call-up to the Maple Leafs when injuries piled up and Toronto needed bodies. By and large, he handled it well.
When Haymes is rolling, he’s hard to contain. He can drive through defenders, find open ice, and work his way into dangerous areas.
He also brings a physical edge, battling hard along the boards and using his 6-foot-1, 203-pound frame to his advantage. Add in the hockey sense, and he tends to end up in the right places at the right time.
Noah Chadwick rounds out the group after a solid first AHL season. He posted 23 points in the regular season and added five more in 16 playoff games, which is a strong foundation to build on. Like Danford, he’s set to take on a bigger role this season and be counted on more heavily.
Chadwick isn’t the type to overwhelm opponents with flash, but he plays a steady, effective game. He makes the safe, smart decision, stays composed on the breakout, and can also lead a rush through transition. In the offensive zone, he moves well enough to help create plays and get into shooting lanes.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Suddenly Have A Fascinating Erik Karlsson Path
Erik Karlsson is back in the Toronto conversation, and this time it comes with a little more smoke than usual. Elliotte Friedman reported that one of his sources sees a real possibility of Karlsson landing with the Maple Leafs, with the idea tied to how both Toronto and Pittsburgh perform as the season unfolds. Karlsson is in the final season of his contract with the Penguins, and Toronto has shown interest before, which keeps the door from fully closing even if the fit has always been complicated.
The key variable is his no-move clause, but there is a scenario where that becomes less of a barrier if Pittsburgh is not in the thick of things. Torontos own roster situation also matters, since changes there could create the kind of opening that makes a swing for a star defenseman more realistic. For now, it is just a path, not a promise, but it is the sort of path that tends to linger around a team like the Leafs until the trade deadline starts to sharpen every rumor. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Have Finally Eased The Burden On Their Stars
Auston Matthews and William Nylander are heading into the season with a noticeably different kind of help around them, and it starts with the way John Chayka spent the offseason. As the Maple Leafs new general manager, he spent the summer reshaping the depth chart with a clear goal in mind: add defensively sound role players who can take on tougher, quieter minutes and make life a little easier for the top-end scorers.
Toronto brought in Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, Jack Roslovic and Nick Paul as part of that push, giving the lineup more support behind the headline names. The real question now is whether that kind of balance lets Matthews and Nylander keep producing at the level the Leafs need, or even find another gear, with fewer demands on them to carry so much of the burden themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Phil Kessel Carried The Leafs More Than Fans Realized
Phil Kessels time in Toronto is often remembered for the frustration around the broader team results, but his production was a steady constant during six seasons after the Maple Leafs acquired him from the Boston Bruins in 2009. In 446 games, he piled up 394 points and settled in among the franchises top scorers in several categories, a reminder of how much offense he supplied even as the team around him struggled to find consistency.
What stands out most is how often Kessel was carrying the scoring load almost by default. He led the Maple Leafs in points every season he wore the jersey, which says as much about his importance as it does about the lack of support beside him. By the time he was traded in 2015, Toronto had spent years depending on Kessel to drive the attack, whether the rest of the roster was ready to match it or not. [Read more 🡒]