NEW YORK — When it comes to the fruits of the Toronto Marlies, Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock doesn't just like his prospects ripe.
"A lot of times in the NHL, we get them here before they're ready and they get no confidence, and then we're not happy with them," Babcock said Thursday before the Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers 4-0 at Madison Square Garden. "If you get them here when they're overripe, they've got a better chance of staying, and being confident players and scoring."
In some organizations, that philosophical mantra can get torn down by time. It's a results-oriented league and when things aren't going your way, reinforcements, be it from exterior or interior sources, are generally required.
But in the case of the Maple Leafs, the cupboard has been stocked and replenished so well that as one crop of Maple Leafs prospects become NHL mainstays, the next season's seeds are being sown.
SPORER: Roman Polak conversation proves hockey has long way to go
"They're doing something right, that's for sure," Patrick Marleau said. "To come in and contribute right away the way they are, it's great to see."
The latest contributions came from Toronto's most recently harvested fruits. Defenseman Justin Holl, playing in his second NHL game, scored his second NHL goal, the first Leafs defenseman in the franchise's long history to score a goal in each of his first two games.
"It's definitely surreal, and at the same time it's super exciting, obviously," Holl said. "I don't know. It's hard to put into words, and I feel fortunate."
Fortunate? Yes. Prepared? Absolutely.
Of the 18 skaters the Leafs dressed Thursday, nine had played for their AHL affiliate, eight of whom spent at least 50 games with the Marlies (the lone player who did not, 23-year-old Connor Carrick, has played close to 140 career AHL games).
"The ball is in their court, but they're all good players," Babcock said of his most recently plucked AHL talent. "One of the reasons you try to keep guys down as long as you can is they get confidence down there. If you're here and you're not playing, you're in and out every second game, it's hard to gain confidence. Being a real good player in the league, you're playing in before you arrive is important."
Opportunity has afforded the likes of Dermott and Holl these chances with the NHL club, but it's not coincidence that they were ready once their names were called.
"It's crazy. I'm sure [Holl] is surprising a lot of people but I've seen it the last year and a half," Dermott said. "He's playing good hockey, but just like I've seen since I've been playing with him."
And don't think Dermott is just playing the role of good teammate. He has his player evaluation of Holl on record, for anyone questioning his grading scale.
Huge congrats to @12JHoll on the All-Star nomination! The most underrated player in the AHL in my eyes!
— Travis Dermott (@Travis_Dermott) January 24, 2018
"First of all that was a really nice tweet," Holl said. "I texted him after that and said, 'Wow, you're really nice to me.'
"We're good friends off the ice as well. It's really fun to be up here with him and experience this."
RUMOR ROUNDUP: Maple Leafs weighing options at deadline
Like many clubs around the NHL, the system the Marlies and head coach Sheldon Keefe employ is virtually identical to what the Maple Leafs are doing at the NHL. But the Marlies take it a step further, structuring team meetings the same way. They attempt to replicate the environment a player will encounter should he make his way to the NHL.
"We spent a lot of time on development," said Zach Hyman, who spent 59 games in the Marlies in 2015-16 before being promoted to the Leafs full time, and is now riding shotgun with Auston Matthews. "We have great player development people there that helped us work on things when we weren't playing games.
"With the Marlies, they do everything that the Leafs do, and it's an easy transition when you get called up. You know what you have to do, you know when the meetings are. You know everything. So that helps a lot."
Holl's immediate production has been historic, but it's his overall game that has Leafs brass most excited. In the two games he's played since his emergency call-up, Holl has a Corsi-for percentage of 58.54. He's been on the ice for two five-on-five goals for (each his own) and none against. He's looked comfortable breaking out pucks in the defensive zone, showing no signs of NHL jitters.
"Just playing well objectively is probably my biggest goal," Holl said. "Then if you can produce and help the team win in that way, it's definitely a good thing."
And that's what Babcock has noticed. Not just about Holl, but also Dermott and Kasperi Kapanen, who was recalled just before the NHL All-Star break before yo-yoing back to the NHL club when hockey resumed. (Though Babcock already had a pretty good scouting report on Kapanen: "It looks like he's an NHL player; it looks to me like he's bringing it every day.")
Dermott played his 10th NHL game Thursday, and has shined in that small sample with a Corsi-for percentage 55.42. He was on the ice for 24 Maple Leafs shot-attempts for versus 16 against despite getting one offensive zone start against five in the defensive zone.
"I knew he was going to do well because I know he's a really good player, and I knew that if you plug him into the system with these players he's going to really thrive," Holl said. "Honestly, there was no doubt in my mind when he got called up, I knew he was going to make an immediate impact. I'm really happy for him, and he's a great player."
These don't seem like misplaced or unwarranted superlatives. The Marlies, under the guidance of Keefe and general manager Kyle Dubas, have churned out an AHL juggernaut. They sit atop the standings this season with a 32-11-1 record. Last year they finished 13th overall but made the Calder Cup playoffs while their NHL big brother was consistently poaching talent. In 2015-16, the Marlies topped the AHL standings, a monster 114-point season that had them 12 points clear of the closest team.
MORE: Travis Dermott, father share in emotional call-up to NHL
"It's a testament to what Sheldon is doing down there, and what the whole staff is doing down there," Hyman said. "The players put in the work, and obviously we were with the Marlies before, a bunch of us, and we enjoyed some success there, too. So it's nice to see everybody doing well."
But what it also speaks to is a harmony between AHL and NHL club. Toronto has been not only accumulating young talent, but also players that can operate at a faster pace. When the Leafs fully place their foot on the gas, the results seem to follow.
"We're deeper than we've been," Babcock said. "We've got four lines, and to be honest, the kids that we've brought up, all of them, I didn't think [Hyman] could be this good. Holl was really good. Dermott's been good. We seem to have some good depth that you don't know until you try."
With Toronto, though, the appetite for a taste is being put off until the prospect himself is at his hungriest.
"I believe that I can play at this level, and the Marlies do a really good job of preparing their players," Holl said. "You can see kind of some of the success that Travis has had, obviously, and Kasperi as well; he's been doing great."
Holl hasn't been too bad, himself, with his teammates gently ribbing him with nicknames like "Holly Orr" and "Justin Lidstrom."
"So it's been fun," Holl said.