Editor In Leaf
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Toronto Maple Leafs: 1st Training Camp Cuts

ByJames Tanner|
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 25: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been altered at the request of the Toronto Maple Leafs.) The Toronto Maple Leafs pose for their official 2016-2017 team photo at the Air Canada Centre on April 25, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 25: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been altered at the request of the Toronto Maple Leafs.) The Toronto Maple Leafs pose for their official 2016-2017 team photo at the Air Canada Centre on April 25, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made the first cuts of training camp.

The Toronto Maple Leafs began with 73 players last week.  This afternoon, they cut 24 players.  There are 49 players left in camp.  An NHL roster has 23 players.

The most notable thing about the first round of cuts is that recent first round draft pick, 17th overall, Timothy Liljegren survived them.  The talented defenseman remains an extreme longshot to make the team, but stranger things have happened.   At this point it’s just cool that we’ll get to see him in a preseason game.

So far, Liljegren has been partnered with fellow top prospect Travis Dermott in camp. This is an exciting pairing, however with both players projecting as top-notch offensive defenseman, you might think that one or the other of them would be limited by the partnership.

Other Cuts

Another notable player who was cut was Nikita Korostelev.  Korostelev is an interesting case because the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted him, didn’t sign him, he went back to the draft and then was un-selected.  Afterwards, the Leafs extended him an invite to camp.  They have now cut him, but that doesn’ t mean he can’t sign an AHL contract.

Martin Dzierkals was cut, and thank god because I hate to try and spell his name.  Dzierkals produced a little bit of hype in the summer, and I believe he is a lot like Korstelev in that the Leafs drafted him but didn’t feel he was worth burning one of the 50 contracts on.  He has an AHL deal and will likely be on the Marlies.

More from Editor In Leaf

Jeremy Bracco was also cut. The Number 4 on our list of top ten prospects, Bracco has the misfortune of being super low on an incredibly deep winger depth chart.  He was not the only member of the Leafs top ten prospects to be cut today – Adam Brooks was also cut.   I wouldn’t take this an indictment of Bracco or Brooks, as much as it is a recognition of the fact that they had a zero chance to make the Leafs at this time.

The Rest

The Leafs also Cut the following players, according to Sportsnet:

Vladimir Bobylev, Jeremy Bracco . Marc-Olivier Ducquette, Fedor Gordeev, Cole Coskey, Adam Brooks, Ryan McGregor, Eemeli Rasanen, Matias Cleland, Rich Clune, Jean Dupuy, Ian Scott, Martin Dzierkals, Nicolas Mattinen, Nolan Valleau, J.J Piccinich, Alex Gudbranson,, Sam Jardine, Nikita Korstelev, Jeff King , Kristian Pospisil, Joshua Winquist and Max Novak.

Next: Top Ten Prospects

In the end, no real surprises here, except that maybe I would have though Bracco or Brooks would at least get a couple preseason games.  Nothing to worry too much about though, the first cuts mean the first game is nearly upon us.

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