Maple Leafs should be ashamed for how easily they depleted farm system

"The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded multiple first-round picks over the past few years which has created a less exciting farm system. If you live in the GTA and can't afford, or can't get access, to a Toronto Maple Leafs game, the Toronto Marlies were a fantastic alternative. Tickets are always affordable for a family of four and you'd typically get to see a few future Leafs in the making. However, if you look at the current roster, it's uninviting."

"One of the main reasons for this was Kyle Dubas. The former GM of the Toronto Marlies turned GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs ran his farm team like a MLB organization. Within the MLB, "A", "AA" and "AAA" are all very important pieces to an organization as you can sometimes see a player play in all three leagues in the same season before making the MLB."

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded multiple first-round picks over recent years, diminishing the depth and excitement of the farm system. The Toronto Marlies previously offered affordable access to future Leafs and produced players such as William Nylander, Zach Hyman, Travis Dermott, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, Mason Marchment, Trevor Moore, and Andreas Johnsson. Kyle Dubas structured the farm like an MLB system, emphasizing A, AA and AAA progression. The Blue Jays example with Trey Yesavage shows how layered development can yield postseason-ready talent. The current Marlies roster trends older, with five of the top six scorers aged 25 or older, and only Jacob Quillan receiving a brief, limited NHL opportunity.

Read at Editor In Leaf