Artur Ahktyamov was great again with his Game 3 performance. It was just another start for the 24-year-old goaltender, who is putting together a remarkable playoff run. His 24-save shutout gave the Toronto Marlies a 1-0 win and a 3-0 series lead in the Calder Cup Final.

With the shutout, Ahktamov has a .928 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.10 goals-against average (GAA) in the playoffs and is the backbone of the Marlies' stellar run. “We don't have enough time. You guys would be mad at me by explaining how great he's been for us, how much confidence he's given our group," head coach John Gruden mentioned after the game, noting the impact of Ahktyamov on this team. 

It made the timing of the trade by the Toronto Maple Leafs the other day interesting, to say the least. They moved Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers, opening the door for a backup goaltender to join the NHL team next season. It’s a trade this team probably wouldn’t have made a month ago. 

If Anthony Stolarz is healthy (a big if) and playing at his 2024-25 form (another if), the Maple Leafs have their unquestioned starter. With Dennis Hildeby ready for the NHL and Ahktyamov’s rise in the American Hockey League, Woll became expendable. 

The Maple Leafs can rely on a Stolarz-Hildeby tandem. It makes Ahktyamov the next in line. Injuries are inevitable and something the Maple Leafs must keep in mind with Stolarz. So, there’s a good chance they call Ahktyamov up, and with his contract, they can always send him down to the Marlies without worrying about waivers. 

Now, many wonder what will happen with Samuel Ersson, who was acquired in the Woll trade. He can be a backup for the Maple Leafs but there’s a good chance they don’t retain the restricted free agent (RFA) and use the extra cap space to acquire another player. The way Ahktyamov has played gives them confidence to do that. 

This playoff run makes it easy to believe that Ahkyamov can play in the NHL and at a high level. Like Arturs Silovs last season, he’s delivered in the playoffs and proved he can handle the pressure of performing at any level. He’s still developing at 24 and isn’t ready for the NHL, not yet, that is. 

Next season, Ahktyamov will most likely start in the AHL and be the unquestioned starter. This season, he only started 37 games, and in an ideal world, he would start more before being a regular in the NHL. 

The other plus is that his play makes it easy to see him being a great goaltender in the NHL. His movement and athletic play in the net translate to the next level and his glove is one of the best in the AHL. It’s those skills that point towards Ahktyamov being a great goaltender whenever he joins the Maple Leafs on a full-time basis. 

This playoff run put a lot of the Marlies' young talent in the spotlight. The prospects who were overlooked or underestimated are now seen as key parts of the future. Easton Cowan is the big one as he looks more like a top-six winger than a middle-six option for the Maple Leafs next season. 

Cowan, while talented, isn’t forcing the Maple Leafs hand. William Villeneuve, the 23-year-old two-way defenseman, might. Likewise, Luke Haymes and Ben Danford are ahead of schedule and might work their way up to the NHL sooner than initially expected. 

Likewise, the coaching staff gives the Maple Leafs a difficult decision. They hired Jim Hillers seconds before this article was published (good timing) but with the way John Gruden has built the AHL team into a Cup-caliber group, it’s hard to ignore what he can provide to the NHL team. It’s worth adding, that Gruden and Hiller worked together on the same staff when they were with New York Islanders under Barry Trotz. The same is true about the coaching staff, which features Mark Giordano, who, if the Maple Leafs don’t promote, someone else will. 

This season was a rough one by many measures for the Maple Leafs. However, the Marlies provide them with hope. They’ve proven that the future is bright and that the turnaround can happen quickly with the right moves.