The Calder Cup Final begins on Friday night between the Chicago Wolves and the Toronto Marlies. In the American Hockey League, the focus is on the prospects, and for a lot of casual hockey fans who haven’t watched the AHL all season, this is the draw for the best-of-seven series. 

The good news is that both teams have plenty of them. Not only do the Marlies and the Wolves have talented young players, but they also have players who look poised to make an impact on their NHL teams soon enough. 

So, let’s look at where some of the top names fit on the Toronto Maple Leafs down the road, especially if the team has a youth movement. While the Carolina Hurricanes are in the Stanley Cup Final and don’t need the same help, they’ll turn to a few young skaters on the Wolves in no time. A few of them are already well-known within their fanbases, so why not look at eight players who might be on their NHL teams soon enough? 

It’s hard to call Easton Cowan an AHL prospect considering how much time he spent in the NHL. He joined the Marlies for the playoff run and took the opportunity in full stride. Cowan has seven goals and six assists in 17 games, and the winger has proven with this run that he can be a regular on the Maple Leafs next season.

The question is what the 21-year-old Cowan’s ceiling is in the NHL? He’s changed games in the playoffs with his skill and ability to drive offense in the Calder Cup Playoffs, and it’s something that, if he keeps working on, can make him a part of the top-six for years to come. Cowan arguably has the highest upside of any player in the Final. 

The other high-end prospect in this Final is Bradly Nadeau, the winger who has been the Wolves' best player throughout the playoffs with five goals and nine assists. Nadeau is a playmaker first, and he makes his line tough to stop, yet he also has a great shot and can generate offense by himself if needed. 

Nadeau had a cup of coffee with the Hurricanes this season. While their forward unit has four great lines that come at teams in waves, Nadeau can fit into the middle six with top-six upside. The key for him is playing the 200-foot game and specifically, buying into Rod Brind’Amour’s system, which is a tough task for anyone, let alone a young and developing player. 

If there’s one defenseman who can be the X-Factor in the Final, it’s William Villeneuve. The puck-moving defenseman turns defense into offense and sets up plays with his passing at the point. Villeneuve always had the skill to be a great AHLer; his defense has stood out in the playoffs, making him a hard-to-ignore prospect. 

The Maple Leafs can use reinforcements on their defense, and specifically, they’ve struggled to find someone to operate the power play. The 22-year-old Villeneuve fits that bill. The problem is that his defense and physical play are still in need of improvement. Ideally, the Maple Leafs turn him into a second or third-pair defenseman next season. They’ll find out if he’s ready for that role next season. 

The Wolves needed someone to emerge as the scoring defenseman to make a playoff run, aside from Juuso Valimaki, who has delivered for them all season. The 24-year-old Joel Nystrom has stepped up and suddenly looks like a defenseman who can play on the third pair for the Hurricanes when Sean Walker, Shayne Gostisbehere, or the other veterans start declining with age in a few years. 

If there’s one goaltender who put himself on the map in the playoffs, it’s Artur Ahktyamov. The 24-year-old Russian is putting together a remarkable playoff run with a .927 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.12 goals-against average. Moreover, Ahktyamov has outdueled some elite goaltenders and made the big saves when it’s mattered most to allow the Marlies to punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Final. 

The Maple Leafs have Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll as their tandem, making it difficult to call up Ahktyamov without trading one of those two. That said, they must look at what Arturs Silovs did last season, leading the Abbotsford Canucks to the Calder Cup title, to prove he can play at the NHL level. Likewise, the Maple Leafs can look at Brandon Bussi, another goaltender who spent his time in the AHL before joining the Hurricanes and playing at a high level in the Stanley Cup Final. They have that elite goaltender in Ahktyamov and might give him that chance soon enough. 

Felix Unger Sorum missed the final five games of the Western Conference Final and is questionable for the upcoming series with an injury. It’s a tough blow considering the impact he made throughout the season and the playoffs for the Wolves. The 20-year-old Norwegian winger proved he can be a valued top-six scorer and, more importantly, lead his own line, which he did throughout the playoffs for the Wolves. Even if Unger Sorum doesn’t play in the Final, the Hurricanes will take a look at him as a depth skater for next season. 

One of the biggest surprises for the Marlies is the play of rookie center Luke Haymes. With three goals and eight assists, he’s given the offense the depth needed to win in the playoffs, and his overall play stands out. Haymes, however, might be the expendable Marlie, especially if the Maple Leafs are still set up in the middle in a few years. Yes, he can develop into a middle-six option, but he’s the player to watch if the team makes a big trade someday, since his career can take off with teams that need help at center.

Justin Robidas fits that expendable label for the Hurricanes. He’s also played great in the playoffs but is often benefiting from playing on the same line as Nadeau. He’s a talented forward, but not the prospect in the Hurricanes system they will call up next season. It’s made him a player to watch if the NHL team continues to make big trades to add to their win-now window.