Maple Leafs’ Haymes Proving His Worth in NHL Opportunity – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

With the injuries piling up and a season that has been lost for well over a month, the Toronto Maple Leafs were in dire need of bodies to ice. Not only for replacements to the roster, but an opportunity for players this late in the season to show their value and possibly make their mark for next season.

The Maple Leafs called up a number of players from the Toronto Marlies from the American Hockey League last week and one of the names was forward Luke Haymes. The prospect pool isn’t strong, but Haymes was a college free agent with some upside as he instantly jumps into being a top prospect within the system. As a result, he earned a chance to showcase his skill at the NHL level and so far, he’s doing a commendable job.  

Haymes’ Season to Date

After he signed his contract, Haymes instantly became a producer with the Marlies scoring six points in his first nine games at the pro level. This season, it was a bit more of an adjustment as he became a player to keep an eye on. He had 32 points in 64 games and finished sixth in team scoring, but it was a tale of two halves for Haymes. 

Haymes didn’t score his first goal of the season until Nov. 22 and only had five goals and nine assists in his first 40 games. Ever since the calendar flipped to February, Haymes became more consistent offensively, scoring 12 goals– including a hat trick– and added six assists in his last 24 games. What’s even more impressive is that 21 of his points came at even strength and 19 of them were primary. In all situations, he has a 53.9 goals for percentage when he’s on the ice. 

When he first joined the team, Marlies head coach John Gruden talked about his cerebral and smart play. It’s pretty evident when you watch him every shift as those smarts and instincts always kick in as he’s always in the right spots at the right time. Given how he’s always able to be in position and has a lethal shot, Haymes is becoming a name that could be a quality depth piece. 

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Seeing as how the Maple Leafs lost some middle-six depth pieces like Fraser Minten, Alex Steeves and Pontus Holmberg, Haymes is establishing himself as a possible replacement that could provide that same level of play that they did. It’s an extremely small sample, but Haymes has looked steady in his first two NHL games.

Haymes’ First Two NHL Games

When Haymes got the call to suit up for his first career game against the New York Islanders, it definitely was a surreal moment for the 24-year-old. He logged 12:47 in his debut while also registering an assist on Morgan Rielly’s 11^th of the season. Despite the nerves heading in, Haymes was happy with how things went in his debut, even earning praise from Rielly on his maturity. 

Through two games, Haymes has looked pretty solid statistically speaking. He already owns a 61.50 expected goals for percentage and an 85.71 high danger chances for percentage at five-on-five. Seeing the numbers, it reflects his play as he has shown his ability to generate quality chances and from the danger areas on the ice.

Despite the Maple Leafs having an abysmal effort and pummelled with shots, I thought Haymes was one of the better forwards on the ice against the Islanders. They lost, but he was a bright spot. He had great energy, was hunting down pucks and his speed allowed him to quickly get in on the fore-check and attack. He had great looks whenever he went to the net and really asserted himself. The minutes were limited, but he made it count. 

Even against the Florida Panthers, while they’re just as depleted as the Maple Leafs, Haymes wasn’t bothered by an even more tough and physical matchup. He displayed great composure in both games where he wasn’t overwhelmed by the pace and didn’t make any egregious mistakes with the puck. He stuck to what made him successful and continued to be involved with the play in the offensive zone. He was doing the little things right; driving hard to the net, finding the open ice really well, generating chances and holding his own when the intensity amped up, showing great positioning with his body and strength. 

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There was an opportunity for Haymes to come in and show what he can offer the Maple Leafs at a time where nothing was going right for the club. It’s the perfect chance for him to showcase for next season and play for a roster spot. 

Based on what we’ve seen so far, he has done his part to make his case as he can produce, create and play a style that’ll make him successful for the next level. We need to see more, but Haymes’ confidence is there as he looks to continue to be a full-time NHLer.

Statistics from Natural Stat Trick and AHL Tracker.