No Toronto Maple Leafs prospect was as unlucky as Ty Voit last year.

Roni Hirvonen wasn’t far behind and suffered two injuries that limited what should have been a productive season. But Voit, who excelled in his senior year with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, was limited to just six games in 2023-24; one with the Toronto Marlies and five with the Newfoundland Growlers. Let’s also not forget that the Growlers disappeared before the end of the season.

Between his shoulder injury at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament and season-ending shoulder surgery in early January, it was a huge blow for a young player who had to overcome adversity to get to this point.

No one questioned Voit’s talent. He was drafted in the fifth round in 2021 despite the OHL season being canceled due to COVID-19. He struggled with 80 points in the Draft+1 season and then raised the bar with 81 assists and 105 points in 67 games in the 2022-23 season. He led the OHL as a reliever and was named to the league’s second all-star team, but was not invited to the USA’s World Junior Championship camp as the team sought more well-rounded options.

Being 1.90 tall didn’t help either. Voit has never been very strong and his defensive game is still a work in progress. If there’s one thing he’s done well throughout his career, it’s outpacing his opponents and creating high-quality setups. When Voit turned pro in 2023-24, many hoped he would keep the hot streak alive. But then, injuries hit him and before you know it, it’s over. His eight points in five games in Newfoundland showed that he has the talent to make things work; but he played one game with the Marlies and that was it. It fell oddly on the boards and the season was over.

What happens now?

Voit is back in the ECHL and is trying to bounce back and make up for lost time. The Leafs are now aligned with the Cincinnati Cyclones, and Voit is the only skater on the team to sign an NHL contract. Goaltender Slava Peksa is a camp invite from the Leafs and is part of a four-goalie rotation that includes former NHL player Jon Gillies.

For Voit, staying healthy and consistent is critical to his development. It’s easy to get lost when you don’t play enough. He won’t have any trouble finding success in the ECHL, and if all goes well, perhaps he’ll return to the Marlies before long. But it’s crowded there, too, so he’ll have to make his own way there, making himself more expendable. Part of that is getting stronger physically, but also taking another step forward in your skating. He moves well but needs to be extra explosive to make up for his deficiencies.

Voit was left off the scoresheet in the season-opening 3-2 loss to Kalamazoo. That’s not exactly a large sample size, but an explosive few weeks here could help him get back into Toronto’s sights in hopes of pushing him forward. The Marlies have their share of notable trappers; Logan Shaw, Ryan Tverberg and Nikita Grebenkin come to mind. Voit could easily fit into a middle-six spot at the club if he shows no signs of slowing down after a difficult rookie season, and some observers believe that is possible.

But from an overall perspective, Voit needs to make the most of the opportunity here. On the one hand, he will get plenty of ice time in the ECHL. On the other hand, you don’t want to become complacent and get lost in the chaos.

It can be easy for a winger to fall down the depth chart when others start making noise. Having key roster spots on the Marlies filled by AHL-only contracts (Shaw, Alexander Nylander and Joseph Blandisi) makes getting the ice time he needs a bit more complicated. This is a big year for Voit to prove that he is the potential player who is tearing up the junior leagues; but everything has to go smoothly.

Some of this is out of his control. But displaying his talent consistently is not.