Roster turnover and new leaders highlight Marlies training camp

As the Toronto Maple Leafs start their NHL season, it was cut day for their AHL affiliate the Marlies.

The Toronto Marlies just wrapped up the second and final day of their training camp at Ford Performance Centre and with an abundance of new faces it will be interesting to see how the team shapes up. Head coach John Gruden will look to take this young squad and improve on last year’s first round playoff exit as they head to Rochester to take on the Americans Friday.

“We have to do it with all four lines, that’ll be the beauty of our team this year we can put any one in and be very confident that they’ll be good defensively and chip in offensively,” said Gruden after on-ice drills regarding the loss of top point getters from last season like Joseph Blandisi and Alex Steeves.

“We’re going to have to do it more by committee this season.”

Reese Johnson, formerly a forward with the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild, will be a welcome addition to the Marlies young squad as he only played six games last season after suffering a season ending injury after being acquired from Minnesota. While not known for his scoring prowess at the pro level, Johnson will look to add another leadership figure alongside Marlies captain Logan Shaw and fellow NHL vet Vinni Lettieri.

“I look forward to taking on that role,” said Johnson regarding his status as a veteran on this young squad after day two of training camp wrapped up on the ice.

“I learnt from a lot of good veterans. I take little lessons that I’ve learnt along the way and hopefully I can help the young guys in any way possible on and off the ice.”

Johnson has 144 games of NHL experience to go along with 138 games in the AHL. The 27-year-old forward hopes to provide a versatile and veteran presence to this Marlies team.

“Be a good leader and two-way forward, hard to play against. Put the puck in the back of the net, a couple greasy ones in front. I’m at that point in my career where I can hopefully help some young guys in similar ways that older guys did when I was younger.”

The Marlies opened training camp with 25-year-old defender Aaron Bohlinger as the eldest player on the d-core, despite having no pro experience. The team will be getting enforcements from Leafs training camp as veterans Dakota Mermis, Matt Benning, and last season's breakout star William Villeneuve, return to the AHL roster. The youth was a topic of interest when speaking with Gruden before the season opener Friday.

“The best thing we can do for the younger guys is to pair them up with a Mermis or a Benning. Putting them in situations where they can succeed. It’s a balancing act, create their foundation and build off that,” said Gruden.

Marlies defender 24-year-old Cade Webber had a strong year last season under the tutelage of Benning as his defence partner. Benning, along with Mermis, and Villeneuve will lead a Marlies defensive unit in front of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov.

The goaltending tandem gives the Marlies some semblance of familiarity after an off-season shake-up that saw a large roster turnover for Gruden’s squad.

Villeneuve is coming off a breakout year for the Leafs’ AHL affiliate, tallying 40 points last season. The 23-year-old was in high spirits despite being sent down after spending the preseason with the NHL team and is still looking to improve on last season and push his way onto the Leafs roster.

“I’m trying not to overthink it, especially as a young guy you get away from the player that brought you to pro hockey,” said Villeneuve when asked about his new role as a leader on this Marlies defence.

“My biggest message is stay true to yourself and don’t be too hard on yourself.”