The Toronto Marlies' 2026-27 season is set to kick off in Rochester: Preview & Projected Lineup - News Beep

See more MLHS in Google Add MLHS as a preferred source + Add Fifteen weeks after clinching the second championship in franchise history, the Toronto Marlies are back in action with their sights set on a repeat.

Unlike after their 2018 championship, much of the roster remains intact. In many ways, it looks stronger thanks to several solid additions, most recently Miles Wood. I covered the rest of the group in more detail in my 2026-27 Marlies roster preview. First-year head coach Steve Sullivan would certainly like to lay down a marker by getting off to a good start following the Calder Cup triumph.

The Marlies will face a different divisional landscape this time around, as the North Division has expanded to eight teams following the New York Islanders’ decision to move their affiliate from Bridgeport to Hamilton.

After opening the campaign on the road in Rochester tonight, the Marlies will raise their championship banner on Saturday against Hamilton. That marks the first of three consecutive games against the Hammers. The Marlies will face both Hamilton and Belleville 10 times this season.

Two-thirds of Toronto’s schedule consists of divisional games. The Marlies will face Rochester, Syracuse, Laval, and Cleveland six times apiece, while seeing Utica just four times. The remaining 24 games are split equally between Atlantic and Central Division opponents. The standout is a four-game series against the Chicago Wolves, whom the Marlies defeated in the Calder Cup final.

Season Expectations

To win it all.

I say that half in jest, but there is little reason the Marlies shouldn’t be a strong regular-season team capable of another deep playoff run.

Adding 10 games against Hamilton shouldn’t be a major roadblock. The Islanders’ farm team has typically struggled, particularly under the current regime.

An early test could come with the Marlies’ lopsided schedule: 11 of the first 16 games are on the road. The reward for navigating that stretch is seven consecutive home games through the holiday season and into the new year.

As weird as it sounds—given who the team’s playoff MVP was — the other major unknown heading into the 2026-27 campaign is goaltending.

Artur Akhtyamov is the organization’s designated number-three goaltender, but even after winning a championship, he has something to prove. Can he carry a team through a full regular season? His tandem with Dennis Hildeby was arguably the AHL’s best last season, but the circumstances have now changed. The Marlies have several options competing for the backup role. The importance of multiple reliable goalies is even more magnified with the AHL schedule, and there are no guarantees that the tandem will provide the same stability the Marlies enjoyed last season. It will take a lot more than just AA to provide goaltending consistency throughout the season.

Barring injuries or trades that decimate the roster, this should be another exciting season of Marlies hockey. Alongside the returning championship core, there are newcomers with something to prove, including a former first-round pick who could benefit considerably from his new surroundings.

A New Marlie I’m Keeping My Eye On

Brendan Brisson enters his fifth professional season with his third organization. Selected 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Draft, the winger has yet to establish himself in the NHL. He played just 24 games for Vegas across parts of three seasons before the Golden Knights traded him and a third-round pick to the New York Rangers for Reilly Smith in the final year of his entry-level contract.

After spending the remainder of that season in Hartford, the California native signed a new one-year deal with the Rangers. He made just three NHL appearances for New York before moving on after the organization declined to tender him a qualifying offer.

The Marlies offered him better terms than his previous deal: $850,000 at the NHL level and $300,000 in the AHL. It remains a low-risk bet for the Leafs, with the potential to add useful NHL depth.

I was interested in Anthony Petrielli’s assessment of Brisson’s preseason performances:

He was crafty in preseason and clearly has some skill, including a really nice pass from below the goal line to TLK in the slot and a nice rush play with Quillan to set him up for a one-timer. Brisson played in both games and picked up one assist. He also fought Sammy Blais, who has at least a couple of inches on him, after Blais ran over Blankenburg; I thought it was impressive and didn’t expect it from Brisson. He’s turning 25 next month and has never produced a 20-goal or 40-point season in the AHL. He was effective in preseason, and you can see why he was once a first-round pick, but he needs to clear those benchmarks if he’s serious about turning heads.

There has never been much doubt about Brisson’s offensive talent. His skating allows him to create space and passing lanes for teammates. He cannot be pigeonholed as a playmaker, either; his quick release and dangerous wrist shot feature prominently in the video.

I agree that the winger needs to produce more, but there is reason to believe he could have a career year with the Marlies. Put simply, Brisson has played for some terrible AHL teams during his professional career. In each of his seasons with Henderson, the Silver Knights finished in the league’s bottom five. Last season, the Hartford Wolf Pack were the worst team in the AHL. Despite his modest overall production, Brisson finished second or third in team five-on-five scoring in each of the three full seasons he spent with a single team.

The two biggest knocks on the left-handed shot have been his work without the puck and his lack of physicality. The latter appears to be less of an issue than it once was. He has shown more buy-in to the physical side of the game over the past year, even dropping the gloves three times in the AHL last season, followed by the fight in the Leafs’ preseason.

Brisson still needs to improve considerably on the defensive side to enter the NHL call-up conversation. Plus/minus is a flawed measure of individual defensive play, particularly on a poor team, but his league-worst minus-32 last season—far worse than any other Wolf Pack player—does little to quiet those concerns.

Brisson will be held to a higher standard in Toronto. That brings us to the magic word: accountability. The Marlies’ leadership group, led by Logan Shaw, expects everyone to do their part and buy in. A freshly won championship only reinforces and adds credibility to those expectations.

Brisson should begin the season with a top-six role and a spot on the power play. Given the Marlies’ wealth of offensive options, he will have every opportunity to produce and make his mark.

For inspiration, Brisson needs only look at a former second-round pick who took advantage of a similar opportunity. Few gave Bo Groulx a second thought when he signed a two-year deal on July 1, 2025. After posting numbers comparable to Brisson’s with his previous teams, Groulx lit up the AHL last season. The former Anaheim prospect is now on the Leafs’ roster.

Therein lies the opportunity for Brendan Brisson.

Season Opener vs. Rochester

The Marlies’ season kicks off on the road tonight in Rochester (7:05 p.m. EST start, streamed on FloHockey.tv). Here is the projected starting lineup based on the final preseason game; we’ll update with the official lines at puck drop.

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Toronto Marlies player card

Brendan Brisson 🇺🇸

LW · Shoots: L · 6′0″ · 194 lb

Age 24 · Born 2001-10-22 · Manhattan Beach, CA

Acquired: 2026, Free agent signing (NHL)

Current linemates ↗: Logan Shaw · Vinni Lettieri

2026-27 Regular Season

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The Toronto Marlies’ 2026-27 season is set to kick off in Rochester: Preview & Projected Lineup

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