In the American Hockey League, there's always the team-building question of whether they should build around veterans or have the prospects carry the workload. It's a developmental league, and the focus is on the prospect but how every NHL team builds their AHL team makes all the difference for their pipeline. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs built their affiliate, the Marlies, around veterans. They brought in Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Vinni Lettieri in the offseason while keeping Logan Shaw around as a leader in the room. 

It didn't give the Marlies an edge this season, as they finished in fourth place in the North Division (a division with only seven teams). It's made them a top team in the playoffs, heading into Game 6 on Sunday with a chance to punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Final, their first since 2018. 

Who is the point leader for the Marlies in this playoff run? It's Lettieri, who is still playing at a point-per-game pace 17 games into the run. Who scored the big goal in Game 5 to fuel a 5-1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins? It was Groulx, who has five goals and four assists in this run. 

Shaw, meanwhile, has been the consistent part of the offense as the top-line skater with seven goals and eight assists. He's the key part of the top six that makes everything work, and then there's Dakota Mermis on the defense, who isn't putting up the points but is a shutdown option for the Marlies as a stay-at-home defenseman. 

They've set the tone for the Marlies every night and led the way. It's allowed the younger players to take steps forward and develop faster than expected, notably the rookies who are suddenly looking like future depth skaters for the Maple Leafs. 

Even from the depth perspective, the Marlies have players who can step up and make a difference. In the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final, it was Michael Pezzetta, who scored the game-winning goals in both games. In Game 5, it was Landon Sim who got the scoring spree started. The veterans set the tone. The prospects come in and put them over the top. 

The goal by Cowan was simply remarkable. It's a play that shows off his skill and ability to change a game with a few great moves and a great shot. For Cowan, this comes after a rough Game 4, where he made a rookie mistake that cost the Marlies the game. It's also just another highlight in a run that's had plenty of them. 

The same is true for William Villeneuve. The defenseman has been on the wrong side of some goals against, where he's caught in the wrong spot or misplaying the puck. At the same time, his improvements on defense have put the Marlies over the top, and his steady play on offense stands out, as he has two goals and 14 assists in 18 playoff games. 

When the opponent takes out the star players, the prospects step up and control the game. It's why the Marlies keep battling through the playoffs and are putting together a run nobody expected out of them. 

One Pittsburgh Penguins beat writer noted earlier in the Eastern Conference Final that no team has a bigger disconnect than the Marlies and the Maple Leafs with the way both teams played. This might have been said cynically and probably isn't accurate. Yet, there's some truth to it. 

The Marlies are a well-coached team and play with structure. John Gruden coached them with the intention of playing well in the NHL, even if the Maple Leafs weren't. The players have bought into his system and are winning in the playoffs because of it. 

More importantly, the Marlies success give the Maple Leafs hope for the future. The strides the prospects have made makes it easy to believe that they'll fit in in the NHL and for the Maple Leafs, it gives them a pivot option if needed. The youth movement and any retool can be faster than expected.