John Gruden on Artur Akhtyamov's rising profile in the Leafs organization: "I've said this since day one -- he reminds me a lot of Ilya Sorokin"

"“Sometimes, it can be tricky to rotate goalies in the playoffs. So far, it's working out well. Why do you think it has worked, and what is the process behind making those decisions? Gruden: We do a lot of talking with everybody. It is a good problem to have. We talked about it since day one against Rochester. It is nice that they're pushing each other. You can see the competition that it drives; it's healthy competition. Again, it is one of our team's strengths. We're fortunate. I like making decisions when they're tough ones. It is a luxury to have, for sure.”"

"“For one, he has done it in Russia. He won a championship. I don't care what league it is in. He is a proven winner. The second thing is, it takes time. It is more of an east-west game over there. There is not as much at the net front. There are bigger ice surfaces. He has adapted.”"

"“I've said this since day one: He reminds me a lot of Ilya Sorokin. I had him on the Island when he first came over. They're built very similarly, and the second thing is their competitiveness and ability to compete in practice all the time. They don't like pucks going in the net. His ability to get across east-west so quickly; he is so fluid with his skating and his feet. It's very similar. He is not trying to be [Sorokin] - he is just trying to be the best version of [himself] - but he is growing.”"

"“Again, Dennis has as well. Look what he did when he was with the Leafs, and he has been outstanding for us.”"

Toronto Marlies head coach John Gruden credits the team’s playoff success to effective goalie rotation supported by constant communication and healthy competition. He describes the process as starting early and continuing through practice, with goalies pushing each other and making tough decisions feel like a luxury. Gruden says Artur Akhtyamov’s growth comes from winning experience in Russia, adapting to different rink conditions and a more east-west style of play, and developing competitiveness in practice. He compares Akhtyamov’s build and skating fluidity to Ilya Sorokin while emphasizing Akhtyamov’s focus on becoming the best version of himself. Gruden also points to strong postseason contributions from William Villeneuve and readiness from Ben Danford for AHL playoff action.

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