Villeneuve’s game starting to click, McMann’s strength, and ‘Mr. Consistency’: Marlies Weekly

Villeneuve’s game starting to click, McMann’s strength, and ‘Mr. Consistency’: Marlies Weekly

First place in the AHL’s North Division, the second-best power play in the league — the Toronto Marlies are having a season.
The team is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and they’re also two points off the top spot in the AHL. This is something that a lot of people likely wouldn’t have predicted at the beginning of the season.
Toronto is undefeated in 2023 and who knows when their first loss could come. The past two games have gone to overtime, but strong play from both Joseph Woll and Erik Kallgren have kept them from having a game go in the lose column.
William Villeneuve’s comfort level rising
Villeneuve is one of the most fascinating players on the Marlies this season. It’s his first professional year, and being a fourth-round pick, his season could could go either way.
As a defenceman coming from junior to the AHL, the initial phase might be a little difficult to get used to. Though over time, things will become easier as you get more comfortable, and stronger.
“He’s an impressive hockey player,” said Marlies head coach Greg Moore back in early December. “There’s a lot of things he does with the puck and how he positions himself around the rink in his reads that is elite.
“Once his body continues to develop, and get stronger and faster, then all of a sudden you’re going to see this pop where he’s going to be able to control games offensively and defensively. (He’s) a really special player. …

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Author: Nick Barden / The Leafs Nation

Digging into Ross Atkins press conference: The future of the managerial position, bullpen heading into 2023 and more!

The annual end-of-season press conference took place on Tuesday afternoon, let’s dig into some of what Ross Atkins said.

Of course, he didn’t say much in terms of who they’re looking at in the free-agent market, or what the plan is for roster construction, other than “we need to improve”, but let’s start with some good news.
George Springer’s health:
On the play that tied the game, Bo Bichette and George Springer both dove for the ball, with Springer essentially getting close-lined. He suffered a concussion (which was pretty much a given) and a shoulder sprain.
Atkins also noted that Springer’s elbow is feeling better and that he’ll be visiting a doctor once cleared. If there’s an operation to remove the spur in the elbow, Atkins believes that it will only benefit the outfielder positively.
The future of the manager position:
The Toronto General Manager will spend more time looking for a manager, but it seems as if John Schneider is the leading candidate for the role. Atkins said, “I feel very confident about the job [Schneider] has done, it will be very difficult for us to find better than John Schneider”.
Although Schneider made a gaff in the second game of the series, the 42-year-old manager had a 46-28 record once he took over for the Jays. When they fired Charlie Montoyo, the Jays were 46-42, so it’s difficul …

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Author: Brennan Delaney / Blue Jays Nation

Denis Malgin could be the late bloomer the Toronto Maple Leafs need

Denis Malgin could be the late bloomer the Toronto Maple Leafs need

Denis Malgin’s place on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster is assured, and he could be the late bloomer that the team needs to help take the next steps.
It may be difficult to picture a player with 192 NHL games under their belt as having the potential to be a late bloomer, with the majority of players with that much experience already firmly set in where they are in their career. That, however, seems to be the case with Swiss forward Denis Malgin, who is back for a second stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Malgin was originally selected in the fourth round (102nd overall) by the Florida Panthers in the 2015 Draft, having spent his draft year playing primarily in the top two tiers of hockey in his native Switzerland. He spent a further year in the Swiss leagues before bringing his talents over to North America, where he played in both the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds and NHL with the Panthers.
From there, Malgin made 184 appearances for the Panthers in essentially a bottom-six role, averaging 12:38 while on the ice and registering all 60 (28 goals, 32 assists) of his career points before finding himself traded to the …

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Author: James Reeve / The Leafs Nation

Raptors odds: Toronto projected below Cavs, above Hawks in East

Raptors odds: Toronto projected below Cavs, above Hawks in East

The Toronto Raptors may have finished in fifth place in the 2021-22 Eastern Conference, but many of the top teams improved to such a shocking degree that Toronto’s odds of competing for a championship have taken a hit. Multiple play-in teams have gotten much better. The Atlanta Hawks kicked off the offseason trade frenzy by […]
Raptors odds: Toronto projected below Cavs, above Hawks in East – Raptors Rapture – Raptors Rapture – A Toronto Raptors Fan Site – News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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Author: Mike Luciano / Raptors HQ

Unpopular Opinion: Give Denis Malgin a chance

The mention of Denis Malgin has already sent a lot of you to a bad place. Mason Marchment’s stat line is now playing over and over in your head and you are reflecting on how a 6’4 power forward the Leafs could have desperately used was dealt for a 5’9 winger who put up zero points in eight games for the Leafs before playing the next two seasons in Switzerland. The trade, one that seemed designed to give Mason Marchment an opportunity somewhere is understandably condemned. That said, Denis Malgin was prematurely condemned and it’s worth trying to see what can still be taken away from that trade.
The thing is, Denis Malgin has had two very productive seasons in the Swiss league. Yes, I am aware I just said the Swiss league, but being at the top of a European league is better than nothing. It’s also encouraging that he had 12 points in games at the World Hockey Championship. He can at least put up numbers against hungover NHLers. In short (pun not intended) Malgin has a bit of pro …

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Author: Jon Steitzer / The Leafs Nation