Today, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced a large series of cuts to their NHL roster, sending 33 players down to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Most of these cuts are players signed exclusively to AHL deals, although a few of them are Maple Leafs prospects still in their development stages. There are also a few notable omissions, with implications for the future of the Maple Leafs and Marlies alike.

Players who cleared waivers

Three players that the Maple Leafs signed required waivers:

All three were placed on waivers on Saturday, the 27th of September, and cleared the following day. Each one is signed to an NHL contract and has the required experience to become waiver eligible.

Players who didn’t need waivers

Thirty players that the Maple Leafs or Marlies signed or already had under contract did not require waivers:

Brandon Baddock

Matthew Barbolini

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine

Luke Grainger

Luke Haymes

Reese Johnson

Marc Johnstone

Ben King

Ryan Kirwan

Alexander Nylander

Cedric Pare

Jacob Quillan

Nick Rheaume

Logan Shaw

Landon Sim

Marko Sikic

Ryan Tverberg

Borya Valis

Noah Chadwick

Ryan McCleary

Rhett Parsons

John Prokop

Chas Sharpe

Blake Smith

Cade Webber

Ken Appleby

Artur Akhtyamov

Vyacheslav Peksa

Most of these players didn’t require waivers because they’re signed to AHL-only deals, like Alex Nylander or Ryan McCleary. If they had been asked to stay up and join the Maple Leafs for non-preseason NHL games, then they would have to sign an NHL contract, and then might require waivers later, depending on age and NHL experience. For example, injuries last season required Toronto to send Alex Nylander up to the major league club, where he would again require waivers to return to the Marlies.

The other group of players – Artur Akhtyamov and Jacob Quillan among them – are on two-way or NHL contracts and are too young and too inexperienced to require waivers. Before a certain amount of NHL games played, a player is not eligible for waivers and can be sent down with those on AHL deals, even though he is also signed to an NHL contract.

Notable omissions

A few select players who were expected to play with the Marlies most or all of the season have survived the first big set of roster cuts and are still playing with the Maple Leafs at camp:

Easton Cowan

William Villeneuve

Dennis Hildeby

Cowan is the crown jewel of the Maple Leafs’ prospect pool and has been discussed extensively. This is his first season of AHL eligibility, as he spent the most recent two seasons with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, where he won the Red Tilson Award for MVP, two J Ross Robertson Cups as league champion, the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for playoff MVP, a Memorial Cup, and a Memorial Cup MVP. In his two preseason games with the Maple Leafs, he has played top-six minutes and generated results that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has approved of. There is a significant chance he will make the Maple Leafs’ opening night roster, even though he may return to the Marlies later on.

William Villeneuve was the Marlies’ number-one defenceman during the 2024-25 season, with 40 points in 55 AHL games, scoring four goals and notching 36 assists. He is 23 and still developing, and his age and promise last season suggest that the Maple Leafs are considering keeping him on the roster as a seventh defenceman or similar. This move may be insurance, as current Leafs sixth defenceman Simon Benoit has been seen at practice wearing a red no-contact jersey.

Dennis Hildeby was one of the Marlies’ three regular goaltenders last season. The Maple Leafs’ backup, Joseph Woll, has taken a personal leave of absence from the team. As a result, Hildeby is likely seen as the Leafs’ next man up and may join them for an extended period of time as their new backup.

Conclusion

The Maple Leafs’ roster cuts have fleshed out the core of the Marlies, although three big members of the team are still practicing with the NHL team and may appear later, or remain with the big club.

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