Five Marlies Players Who Are The Next Man Up For The Maple Leafs In 2026-27 NHL Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs have improved their depth with a slew of additions this summer. But the injury bug could strike at any moment, and the Leafs will need to pluck players out of the American League. Here are the five players likely to be the first called up this year.Thus, depth is incredibly important for the Leafs this season. They can’t afford to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second straight year, and they can’t let injuries be an excuse for faltering and free-falling down the Atlantic Division standings.Which players in Toronto will be leaned on if some NHLers start the season with fall by the wayside due to injuries? In no particular order, here are five of those players.For much of last season, Bo Groulx was an afterthought, almost certainly destined to spend the entire year in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. However, numerous injuries gave him an opening on the Leafs. The 26-year-old Groulx took full advantage of it by putting together his best NHL performance by far: in 13 games, he posted three goals and five points.Groulx is entering the final season of his contract, and he’s going to start the season in the American League. But if the Maple Leafs need to bring someone up, Groulx is likely to be one of the first players recalled. Chayka made a slew of moves, but one under-the-radar signing was Zack MacEwen. The 30year-old right winger has played only 24 NHL games in the past two seasons, and he’s been the nuclear option as a feisty, physical force. MacEwen will have healthy competition as the Leafs’ enforcer with left winger Michael Pezzetta, who played only nine games with the Buds last season. But Chayka clearly values depth at every position, including the enforcer role, and that means MacEwen and Pezzetta could wind up seeing time with the Leafs this year.The 24-year-old Jacob Quillan had a terrific season with the Marlies, putting up 36 points in 40 regular-season games, while adding nine points in 19 playoff games in Toronto’s Calder Cup championship. Quillan also played in 23 games for the Maple Leafs last season, generating two assists and three points.Toronto’s additions up front have pushed Quillan down the depth chart, and he’s also part of the pre-Chayka administration. But Quillan can play center or wing, and if the Maple Leafs run into a number of injury-related issues, Quillan could get another shot to impress and stay in the NHL this year.The Leafs cut back on their goalie depth this summer, trading Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers and sending Dennis Hildeby to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Chayka traded his goalie depth to better balance his lineup, but while Artur Akhytyamov played his first three NHL games this past season, it was his dominant performance with the Marlies that made Maple Leafs management comfortable with dealing Woll and Hildeby. Indeed, in 22 AHL playoff games last year, Akhtyamov posted a stunning .923 save percentage and a 2.22 GAA. The 24-year-old goaltender is signed to a three-year contract paying him just $900,000 per season, and should Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz run into any problems, including injury or performance issues, Akhtyamov will be the first one to get the call in the crease.Ben Danford has been one of the Maple Leafs’ prized youngsters since they drafted him with the 31st-overall pick in the 2024 entry draft. The 20-year-old blueliner spent much of the 2025-26 campaign with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, but Danford got his first taste of professional hockey when he joined the Marlies for their playoff run.In 16 post-season contests with the Marlies, Danford posted two assists and three points. But he was never drafted with the expectations of being a major point-producer. He’s projected as a stay-at-home D-man, and if the Leafs’ blueline takes a significant hit, Chayka will probably give Danford first crack at asserting himself as an NHLer.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.