AHL: The Kulemin Group

Both Jiri Tlusty and Nikolai Kulemin project to become top-six forwards for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the near future. McKeen's correspondent Max Giese was able to catch both players performing these roles with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Also featured, are key goaltending prospect Justin Pogge and the disappointing Robbie Earl.

Jiri Tlusty (Tor), LW, Toronto Marlies

In a healthy spot right now for his development, as he's being fed a steady dose of icetime in all key situations .. employs compact strides to swiftly accelerate out of his crossovers .. possesses smooth hands and athletic hand-eye coordination which stimulate his stable puck control and strong release .. displays a keen sense of identifying when and where to arrive around the net .. consistently finds and passes the puck to the open man before activating his feet to get open and become ready to receive the puck back .. he's on the puck a lot and once he has it, defenders have a difficult time dislodging him off it .. sturdy on his feet and protects the puck well by pivoting so defenders attempting to check him only get his back-side and not a clear shot at the puck .. not overly physical, but he displays good self-preservation skills in the trenches .. an intelligent player with solid anticipation and is servicing on the penalty kill .. not all that dynamic, but was a well-rounded performer .. has already posted 10 goals and 16 points in 68 career NHL games.

Nikolai Kulemin (Tor), LW, Toronto Marlies

After compiling 7 goals and 14 points in 40 NHL games this season, Kulemin was sent down to the AHL for 3 games before being recalled on January 12th .. skates with swift lateral agility and dogged equilibrium, however he needs to upgrade his acceleratory strides, as he tends to pop up too much while spinning his wheels out of the gate .. blessed with supple hands and a great stick in traffic, Kulemin shields the puck well and utilizes captivating body fakes to elude defenders .. displays a perceptive nose for the net while quietly lurking in the weeds only to reappear in prime scoring real estate with the puck on his dangerous blade .. his defensive performance was surprisingly strong, as he marked his assignments and stuck to them while coming deep into his own zone to aide in coverage .. deceptively strong with the ability to gain leverage on opponents during one-on-one puck battles .. has a mature understanding for taking the proper angles into scrums and this allows him to establish positioning on larger opponents .. didn't register a point, but impressed none the less. .. 40 games, 7 goals 14 points.

Justin Pogge (Tor), G, Toronto Marlies

A sizable goaltender with athletic crease movement and a fast glove hand .. spirited competitor that has his opponents seeking to run his crease in attempt to rattle his cage .. boasts an expansive frame and elects to stay high in his stance to locate pucks through traffic .. becomes impatient and will commit the first move when shooters are in tight .. evades the middle of his crease and will lose proper positioning by over pursuing the puck .. both a strong skater and apt puck handler, Pogge is active playing the puck and can disrupt the opponents forecheck by quickly getting on pucks behind his crease before wrapping it around off the glass .. opponents can't rely on gaining the offensive zone by dumping and chasing the puck while facing him .. turns his wrist over the stick a la Marty Turco .. his flexible and long legs enable him to sprawl out and cover the lower portion of the net during a goalmouth scramble .. inconsistently plays the angles, as at times he challenges well and engulfs the net, however at others he stations himself deep within his crease .. rebound control remains a work in progress, although it is evolving adequately.

Anton Stralman (Tor), D, Toronto Marlies

Receiving ample icetime while quarterbacking the first powerplay and being a key fixture on the penalty kill .. skilled puck moving defenseman that boasts a good right-handed shot, although he struggled getting it through traffic and on net .. smooth and agile skater in all directions with a relaxed stride .. adequately views the ice and wasn't hesitant to attempt the home run play in transition .. identifies when and where to slide down from point into the open seams, which creates space for him to unload his shot .. a finesse defender that often relies on unorthodox techniques to get the job down, as he defended quite a bit while skating forwards .. the missing piece to his game right now is his lack of urgency, although he does effectively gain position and clog opponent passing lanes .. in 71 career NHL games, Stralman has 16 points.

Robbie Earl (Tor), LW, Toronto Marlies

Boasts the NHL-caliber skating to make him an effective checking-line winger, however he lacks the requisite competitiveness and defensive awareness to fulfill that role .. pure skater that is graceful and fast on his feet while being shifty at full-speed .. acts as an individual while carrying the puck and often operates in a bubble while not seeing the ice well or achieving much in possession .. beginning to understand how to employee his speed as an effective tool on the forecheck, however he's just not that smart or hard working of a player and his on-ice reads leave much to be desired .. small and slight, which leaves him losing the majority of the one-on-one puck battles he takes on .. far from fearless and needs to begin to compete harder to establish himself as a regular in the Marlies lineup .. last season, he registered an assist in 9 games with the Maple Leafs.

Phil Oreskovic (Tor), D, Toronto Marlies

A simple, stay-at-home-defenseman .. a bit heavy on his feet and a lumbering skater initially, however he works his ass off to compensate and his pure leg strength helps mask some of his skating flaws .. still, must remain conscientious of keeping his feet moving while skating backwards to ensure he doesn't get beaten wide by speedier opponents .. isn't a skilled or crafty distributor of the puck, as he will just throw it away to dead ice when pressured, however he usually makes a stick to stick first pass when given time to operate .. displays tight gap control and never hesitates to impose his size on his man by standing his ground physically just inside the blueline .. blessed with great size and strength along with an effectively long reach .. plays within his limitations and if all goes perfectly well, he could get a shot at being a bottom-pairing defenseman in the NHL.