NHL clubs are still figuring out how to best use their AHL teams, though in recent years many have taken real strides. Prior to the arrival of the Mike Babcock era Maple Leafs, the Marlies weren’t doing the big club too many favours. Essentially, the Marlies played whatever was the preferred system of the coach, so when there were call-ups, those players weren’t always on the same page as the Leafs staff. That leads to adjustment periods, which can cost both the team and the player.



Of course, saying that now, it sounds the opposite of brilliant, but that was just standard practice at the time. One of the major advantages the Leafs/Marlies have is being in the same city, so the coaches and players can stay on the same page. If the Marlies coaching staff has done anything exceptionally well, it’s preparing players to be plug-and-play for Babcock. Every time a Marlie has gone up, you rarely saw them stray out of position.



Of course, systems play is...