Marlies open season without last year’s championship-winning goaltenders

“I thought I’d start the season here the last two years and things haven’t really gone that way. But yeah, I’m really hoping to stay here this year.”

Kaskisuo played just eight games for the Marlies the last two seasons, with a demotion to the ECHL (in 2016-17) and a loan to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves (in 2017-18) interrupting the 25-year-old Finn’s time in Toronto.

Peters, meanwhile, is on a professional tryout with the Marlies after playing last season in Europe.

The two netminders rose up the depth chart significantly this week when Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney were claimed off waivers by other teams. Garret Sparks, the Marlies’ starter last season, will open the year as Frederik Andersen’s back-up with Toronto’s NHL club.

The Marlies begin their season Friday with a road game against the Utica Comets. Peters is the hoping the Maple Leafs’ waiver losses cleared enough of a path for him to be there.

“In order for anything to present itself for me those (waiver moves) had to happen,” Peters said. “But there’s still lots of possibilities.

“Personally I would love to get a chance to make it work. But we’ll see. One day at a time.”

Peters hasn’t played in the NHL since a three-game stint with Arizona in 2016-17. He appeared in just 14 games for the KHL’s Riga Dynamo in Latvia last season before finishing the year with the Cologne Sharks in Germany.

The 32-year-old called his European experience “a lot of fun,” but admitted it was tough to be away from his wife, who was seven months pregnant with twins when he left in July 2017. The children, Logan and Nora, just turned one last month.

“It’s been amazing to see them grow and to see how my wife’s been taking care of them and raising them while I was gone,” Peters said. “I came in and she showed me the ropes and it’s been really cool learning how to be a dad.”

Peters has played 83 games in the NHL, mostly with Carolina and Washington, and has a goals-against average of 3.08.

The Blyth, Ont., native — who also won Olympic bronze this February in Pyeongchang — grew up a Leafs fan and played junior hockey in Toronto with the St. Michael’s Majors.

“It makes it that much cooler to be around here and be a part of this organization,” he said of his connection to the city.

The Marlies are coming off a short off-season after beating the Texas Stars in seven games for the Calder Cup in June.

One of four AHL teams in Canada, Toronto was 54-18-4 last year to win the North Division.

The Belleville Senators (Ottawa’s affiliate) and Laval Rocket (Montreal) finished sixth and seventh respectively in the seven-team North while the Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg) were third in the Central Division at 42-26-8 but lost in the second round of the playoffs.

Manitoba opens its season in Iowa Friday and Belleville and Laval open Saturday on the road.

While most of Toronto’s roster remains from its title-winning run, there are some other notable additions. Defenceman Jordan Subban, who signed a two-way contract with the Maple Leafs this summer, and NHL veteran Sam Gagner, loaned to the Marlies from the Canucks on Tuesday, are set to make an impact.

There’s also a new goalie coach in Jon Elkin, who replaced Piero Greco after he moved up to the New York Islanders.

Kaskisuo and Peters both said they’ve jelled well with Elkin in a short time. And the goaltenders have formed an early bond with each other, too.

“It’s been nice to work with him,” Kaskisuo said of Peters. “He’s a seasoned vet, I just kind of pick his brain and see how he handles situations.

“It’s not easy for him for sure, so we try to go back and forth there and help each other out.”

Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Marlies open season without last year’s championship-winning goaltenders

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