For a long stretch of time, the Toronto Maple Leafs development system was a Mad Max-like wasteland where ill-equipped young kids tried to hold their own against grizzled-looking, professional minor league hockey league lifers.

In their less-than-illustrious modern-day history, the Leafs have not proven capable of converting prospects into bona fide NHLers the way the league’s elite teams (such as the Detroit Red Wings) are famous for.

That said, things have been different of late for the organization’s minor league system. This season, the Leafs have received lots of help from the Toronto Marlies, their American League farm team that is proving to be a great breeding ground not just for players, but for coaches.

Indeed, the job done this season by second-year Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins (and assistant coaches Gord Dineen and Derek King) has been nothing short of tremendous.

For starters, they’ve prepared rising prospects Nazem Kadri and Keith Aulie for life in the NHL; neither youngster was ready to contribute as a Leaf last season, but both clearly are much improved after having played under Eakins’ tutelage.

But his influence extends beyond Aulie and Kadri. Pro hockey players can be jaded when it comes to their coaches, yet Eakins’ dedication and preparation for games – as well as his interest in them as more than employees – has members of the Marlies roster talking about him with a deep sense of reverence.

Without a doubt, that’s a significant factor as to why the AHL team stayed in the playoff race until this past weekend. Even with a large number of Marlies players recalled to the NHL (including goalie James Reimer and worker bee forwards Darryl Boyce and Joey Crabb), and even with injuries to key members Joe Colbourne, Christian Hanson, Luca Caputi and Jussi Rynaas, Eakins kept the team competitive.

With Toronto coach Ron Wilson likely to sign a contract extension this summer, it is unlikely Eakins will get a shot at the Leafs job sooner than later. But Eakins’ ability to turn that former Mad Max wasteland into a productive garden is one that will not go unnoticed.