While you can quibble with the moves that the Toronto Maple Leafs did – and didn’t – make this summer, general manager (GM) Bred Treliving certainly took some steps in bolstering a roster that failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons. Defence and goaltending were addressed with the additions of Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Stolarz, while Max Domi and Joseph Woll were re-signed.
Beyond the meat of the roster, Treliving demonstrated a focus on adding organizational depth. He saw the importance of it first-hand last season, as players like Bobby McMann, Simon Benoit and William Lagesson played larger-than-expected roles. Even under the increasingly likely scenario that Jani Hakanpaa isn’t, in fact, a Maple Leaf, there are a number of additional new faces set to don the blue and white who could make an impression in training camp and beyond.
Here are a few new faces that may grow into larger roles as the season progresses, particularly if the ‘wait for Hakanpaa‘ never actually ends.
Dakota Mermis
In an apparent bid to reunite the 2013-14 London Knights, the Maple Leafs signed Dakota Mermis to join a roster that already has Domi, Stolarz and Mitch Marner (there’s no word on the club’s interest in Nikita Zadorov, Michael McCarron, Christian Dvorak, Josh Anderson, Chris Tierney or Bo Horvat).
While familiarity helps, the Knights connection wasn’t the only reason why Mermis is now a Maple Leaf. A defenceman coming off of a career-best 47 games at the NHL level with the Minnesota Wild, he brings versatility and some penalty-killing depth. The 30-year-old is a left-handed shot who spent time on the right and left side on Minnesota’s blue line. Additionally, he averaged just under a minute per game killing penalties.
As currently constructed, the Maple Leafs’ blue line consists of five near-locks (Tanev, Ekman-Larsson, Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe and Simon Benoit) and a handful of additional defenders who will be fighting for a role in training camp. Mermis looks to be firmly in the midst of that battle and, thus, will be a player to watch once camp opens.
Philippe Myers
Size was clearly a focus on the defensive end this summer, with Treliving chasing (at least) the 6-foot-7 Hakanpaa and signing another 6-foot-7 blueliner in 23-year-old Boston University standout Cade Webber. At 6-foot-6, Philippe Myers has continued this size-friendly trend among defencemen.
Myers also carries an NHL pedigree. The 27-year-old has played 158 career games at the NHL level, although a tough 2023-24 campaign on the deep Tampa Bay Lightning resulted in a season spent primarily in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Syracuse Crunch. As such, the former Philadelphia Flyer stands as something of a reclamation project.
Myers’ status as a reclamation project helped the Maple Leafs secure his services on a near-minimum $775,000 one-year deal. However, it also raises questions on what to expect from the Moncton, NB native. At his best, he offers a disruptive presence in the defensive zone with a decent level of physicality. At his worst, he’s a liability who can struggle against speedy forwards without providing enough offence to offset his deficiencies. He’ll probably see some opportunities this season by virtue of injuries, but he’ll need to show more of the former than the latter to remain in the lineup.
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Alex Nylander
The Toronto Marlies’ low-risk signing of Alex Nylander stands as more than just a favour to his big brother, William. The 26-year-old was a worthwhile flyer to take given his high-ceiling pedigree as a former No. 8 overall draft pick and his under-rated 2023-24 campaign.
Nylander didn’t get off to the most encouraging of starts to his pro career. After being taken by the Buffalo Sabres with the eighth pick of the 2016 Draft two years after Toronto scooped up William with the same selection, he stumbled out of the blocks and managed just three goals in 19 games across three seasons before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. Now onto his fifth organization and counting 121 NHL games to go with 330 AHL games, the Swedish forward can safely be considered a journeyman.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Nylander can’t succeed alongside his brother in Toronto. Treliving undoubtedly took note of the elder Nylander’s 2023-24 campaign, which may not have matched William’s 40 goals for the Maple Leafs but did produce 11 goals in 23 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets and 17 goals in 43 AHL games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Capable secondary scoring isn’t currently in plentiful supply within the organization, so Alex has the chance to earn a contract with the big club and prove to be more than a nepotism signing.
Last season, opportunities arose out of a steady stream of injuries. This year, the Maple Leafs will lean heavily on the likes of 34-year-old Tanev, 33-year-old Ekman-Larsson and 33-year-old John Tavares, meaning that more opportunities should materialize – in training camp and beyond. Mermis, Myers and Nylander, plus a host of other roster candidates, should be more than motivated to take advantage.
