Report: Leafs continue to make cuts, assign two players to AHL

The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they've sent forward Pavel Gogolev and defenseman Filip Kral to the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

Check it out:

The 21 year old Gogolev had a solid audition with the Marlies last season, putting up six goals and 12 points in just 13 games with the team. He was signed mid-season after floundering a bit in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and ended up establishing himself as a legitimate offensive threat for the Marlies. It'll be interesting to see what kind of role he gets with the team this upcoming season. 

It's also worth mentioning that the smooth skating winger is a former teammate and linemate of Leafs rookie Nick Robertson from their time with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.

Here's what scouting resource Elite Prospects has to say about Gogolev:

Gogolev is such a dexterous puck-carrier. He plays the puck within a defender's triangle, with his elbow free from his body, and fluid wrist movements throughout. His ability to corral the puck and swiftly transition into a curl-and-release shot makes him a legitimate two-touch threat every time he secures the puck in the offensive zone.

As for Kral, he's in somewhat of a similar situation as Gogolev. The 21 year old Kral joined the Marlies mid-season last year, putting up just two goals in 10 games with the team. The Czech native also played three seasons in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs and put up an impressive 12 goals and 49 points in 53 games during his final season of junior hockey. In 48 games with Brno Kometa of the Czech professional league last season he put up six goals and 21 points. He was drafted by the Leafs in the 5th round (149th overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

To be perfectly honest, I felt that Kral acquitted himself well in limited action during training camp and the pre-season. Especially so when compared to 26 year old veteral Carl Dahlstrom. With Kral's demotion it looks like Dahlstrom may have earned himself a spot on the Leafs' full-time roster and... frankly... that's perplexing to me. Dahlstrom has looked lost in every single game he's been in, while Kral has looked solid, if not exactly spectacular.