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Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup: CHL playoff update, Haymes scores his first AHL goal
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Photo credit: (Photo by Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)
Nick Richard
Apr 2, 2025, 07:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 8, 2025, 15:46 EDT
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As the Toronto Maple Leafs enter the final stretch of their regular season and push for the top spot in the Atlantic Division heading into the postseason, several prospects have already started their playoff journeys in the CHL.
Easton Cowan and the London Knights kicked off their pursuit of back-to-back OHL championships when their first-round matchup with the Owen Sound Attack got underway on Friday night. The Knights took it to the Attack, securing a tidy 6-1 victory in game one, with Cowan registering a pair of primary assists. London doubled up their series lead with a 6-3 win in game two, and Cowan was a key factor once again, tallying a goal and an assist to give him four points through two postseason contests.
Tensions ran high between the Oshawa Generals and Brampton Steelheads on more than one occasion during the regular season, with Ben Danford dropping the gloves a couple of times, earning himself a two-game suspension the second time around. Fittingly, the two rivals are matched up in the opening round of the OHL playoffs and have made it through three games in the series. Danford wasn’t exactly an offensive driver for the Generals during the regular season, but he notched his first goal of the postseason as Oshawa got out to an early lead in game one of the series. The Generals dropped Game 3 to Brampton on Tuesday night and are currently down 2-1 in the series.
Following a breakout season in which he scored 36 goals, Sam McCue and his Flint Firebirds are off to a slow start in the playoffs. McCue has been held off the scoresheet through the first three games of the series, although the Firebirds picked up a Game 3 win at home to cut the series deficit to 1. If McCue can find some offence, it will go a long way for a Firebirds team that has the odds stacked against them at this moment.
In the WHL, Noah Chadwick led the Lethbridge Hurricanes into battle against the Brandon Wheat Kings, helping his team get out to a 3-0 series lead. He was a huge factor in the opening contest, notching an assist on the Hurricanes’ second goal and finishing +3 while firing five shots on goal from the back end. Chadwick picked up his second assist of the series on the opening goal of game two, propelling the Hurricanes to a 4-3 win and putting them in the driver’s seat of their first-round matchup before helping push the Wheat Kings to the edge with an assist in a 3-1 Game 3 win.
The Edmonton Oil Kings are up 2-1 in their first-round series against the Prince Albert Raiders, with Leafs 2024 fifth-rounder Miroslav Holinka being held pointless through three games. Holinka spent much of the season as the Oil Kings’ first line centre, but he has been knocked down the lineup in recent weeks. Still, he has proven to be an X-factor for the team at different points in the season, and he could still play a key role if Edmonton is able to put together a deep run.
Drafted in the seventh round in 2024 on the strength of his defensive acumen and physicality, Nathan Mayes provided a bit more offensive punch from the Spokane Chiefs’ blue line this season than might have been expected. He has kept that up through the first two games of the playoffs, chipping in three assists to go along with a +6 rating as the Chiefs have gotten out to a 2-0 lead in their opening-round series against the Vancouver Giants. Even if Mayes doesn’t keep up with the offensive production, he will be leaned on heavily as the Chiefs progress through the playoffs.
The Prince George Cougars and Portland Winterhawks kicked off the first round with a wild one, and newly signed Leafs prospect Borya Valis played a big role in the Cougars coming away with a 7-6 overtime win. With the Cougars down 2-0 early, Valis got his team back into the game with his first goal of the postseason. Portland stormed back to take a commanding lead once again, but the Cougars persisted, with Valis notching a pair of assists to help force overtime before Washington Capitals prospect Terik Parascak scored the winner. Valis was held without a point as the Cougars dropped each of the next two games, so the team will be looking for similar fortunes from Valis as they look to even the series up again.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

  • Jacob Quillan has been a key contributor for the Marlies since the departure of Fraser Minten, and he maintained his strong run of production this past week. He scored the Marlies’ only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Laval Rocket on Friday and assisted on their only goal in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Belleville Senators on Saturday, while firing a combined 12 shots on goal over those two games. For the season, Quillan is now up to 16 goals and 16 assists in 59 games.
  • Quillan may have taken over as the top centre prospect in the Leafs organization, but he could have some competition for that distinction with the addition of Luke Haymes last week. Haymes made his pro debut over the weekend, centering a line with Roni Hirvonen and Cedric Paré, but was held scoreless in his first taste of AHL action. He got on the board in his second game, however, scoring on a beautiful individual effort and adding an assist in a 5-4 loss to the Bridgeport Islanders. Despite his lack of pro experience, it looks like Haymes could play a prominent role for the Marlies down the stretch.
  • Already in the midst of a career year for the Marlies, William Villeneuve has remained productive from the blue line. He registered an assist and managed a +1 rating in a 4-1 loss to Laval on Friday, and added two more assists and another +1 rating in Sunday’s 5-4 loss to Bridgeport. Through 48 games this season, Villeneuve has compiled two goals and 31 assists to lead Marlies defenders in scoring by a healthy margin.
  • Vyacheslav Peksa has gotten lost in the shuffle of Leafs goaltending prospects a bit, but he has turned his season around in a big way over the last few weeks. Relegated to the ECHL with a Cincinnati Cyclones team that has looked overmatched for most of the season, Peksa struggled in the early going, but he has been hot as of late. Peksa stopped 37 of the 38 shots he faced in a 3-1 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings last Wednesday and followed that up with 39 saves on 42 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday. Over his last nine appearances, Peksa has put up a .927 SV%, bringing him up to a .902 SV% through 30 games this season. There is no clear path to significant playing time in the AHL for Peksa, but he could force his way into the conversation next season, especially if the Leafs don’t bring back Matt Murray or sign another veteran to fortify the Marlies’ crease.
Statistics from EliteProspects.com

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