The Maple Leafs Have a New Marlies Scorer & an Old Reliable

The Toronto Marlies opened their home schedule with a 5-3 win over the Hamilton Hammers, and Maple Leafs fans had plenty of reasons to pay attention. Brendan Brisson scored twice. Artyom Akhtyamov was solid in goal. Some familiar prospects were in the lineup. But the player who caught my attention wasn't necessarily the one who put the puck in the net. It was Logan Shaw.

Brisson is the easy story. The 24-year-old forward, signed by the Maple Leafs as a free agent in September after the New York Rangers didn't give him a qualifying offer, scored twice in the first period. He was originally a first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights back in 2020, so this isn't some completely unknown player suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

Still, he's an interesting one to watch. A player who has already been through a few organizations is getting another opportunity with Toronto, and two goals in his first home game certainly isn't a bad way to introduce yourself. But then there's Shaw.

Why Logan Shaw Keeps Getting Extensions.

Shaw has been around the Marlies long enough that he almost becomes easy to overlook. He's not the prospect everyone is waiting to see. He's not the player whose name gets attached to trade rumours. He's just there, doing his job. And apparently, doing it very well.

New Marlies coach Steve Sullivan explained why Shaw keeps getting contract extensions. Sullivan said it's not just what Shaw does on the ice, but also what he does in the dressing room. He's reliable in every situation, and Sullivan admitted he's already finding himself playing Shaw a lot. That last part made me smile.

“I understand why Gruden put him on the ice all the time,” Sullivan said. He also pointed out how valuable Shaw is for the young players because they have a leader to look up to.

Maple Leafs Fans Can Sometimes Miss the Marlies’ Role in Player Development.

That's the part of a development organization we don't always see. Brisson can score two goals and become the story of the night. That's great. But players like Shaw help create the environment in which players like Brisson can develop.

And maybe that's the bigger Marlies story. Toronto has another new-look team, another new coach and plenty of young players trying to figure out what's next. Shaw is one of the constants.

He may not be the name Maple Leafs fans are watching most closely. But maybe they should know his name.