The Toronto Maple Leafs success greatly depends, like any other team in the NHL, on prospect development through their farm system(s). It’s no secret their current on-ice success is founded upon that very development system.
Think about it, players such as Nylander, Johnsson, Hyman, Kapanen, Holl, Dermott and Engvall, just to name a few, all spend time with the Marlies before all becoming important pieces on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster.
Development of players such as Hyman, Johnsson, and Engvall have been the greatest successes, and all were late-round draft picks, making their development and success in the NHL a huge compliment for the Toronto Marlies as an organization.