"Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft and named an AHL all star this season, was called upon to make his very first start after Anthony Stolarz went down with an injury on Wednesday night and Joseph Woll was forced to step in for the whole game."
"The rookie netminder wound up facing a whopping 44 shots on goal, stopping 39 of them en route to a 5-3 loss against the Islanders. All things considered, it was a fine start for somebody of Akhtyamov's calibre, there's nothing he can do about the situation of the team and the state they find themselves in."
"Meanwhile, recent NCAA signing Luke Haymes made his NHL debut and also registered his first point on Morgan Rielly's third period goal. Haymes earned a call-up along with Akhtyamov and fellow Marlies teammates William Villeneuve and Ryan Tverberg."
"The Leafs will face the Florida Panthers on Sunday, who are dealing with one of the worst injury situations in the league and are also neck-in-neck with the Leafs in the race for the bottom-5."
The Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling as the 2025-26 season concludes, with only three games left. The team is now evaluating younger players from the Marlies. Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov made his NHL debut, facing 44 shots and stopping 39 in a loss. NCAA signing Luke Haymes also debuted, contributing to a goal. Despite the call-ups, veteran players remain prioritized, possibly to protect the team's first-round pick. The Leafs are set to face the injury-riddled Florida Panthers, both teams vying for a bottom-five finish.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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