The Toronto Maple Leafs took another step towards finalizing their regular season roster for the 2018-19 campaign.
We are now down to roughly 40 players remaining on the roster, as the Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that three more players have been cut from the roster.
The Leafs will play the Canadiens tonight.
Here’s the list as first posted by the Leafs PR Twitter page:
The @MapleLeafs announced today that defencemen Andrew Nielsen and Rasmus Sandin have been loaned to the @TorontoMarles while forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev has been loaned to Peterborough (OHL).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) September 26, 2018
Seeing these names listed here isn’t a surprise given the projected outlook of the Leafs lineup. Mike Babcock told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star that players like Sandin and Timothy Liljegren won’t be able to land a spot due to the makeup on the team as is.
What we have here is one player going to the AHL, another going to junior, and a third player who’s decision is not yet known. All three of them made an impact during the preseason to varying effects.
Starting with Andrew Nielson, his preseason can be best described as eventful.
He kicked things off by laying out a dangerous hit during the rookie tournament, then took many unnecessary penalties. A lack of discipline has been his major downfall to his game as he took 143 penalty minutes last season with the Marlies as per HockeyDB. He still has time to control his actions since he’s only 21, but his preseason performance left a lot to be desired.
By contrast, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (SDA) made a solid first impression despite a minimal opportunity.
After playing well during the rookie camp, SDA got the most out of his only preseason game last week against the Buffalo Sabres. He looked great at both ends of the ice and then signed his entry-level contract immediately after the game. Not bad for a guy who just made the cut to be eligible for the 2018 draft. He looks to be in for a strong season with the Peterborough Petes.
Rasmus Sandin
Finally, Sandin showed a lot of promise throughout the preseason but his ultimate destination to begin the 2018-19 campaign still remains unclear.
Like SDA, Sandin didn’t look out of place at all during his three appearances and showcased the potential he has on multiple occasions. As per Bob McKenzie of TSN, the reason he is going to the Marlies is so the Toronto Maple Leafs can determine where he will play this year. As it stands, he could either remain in the AHL, go back to junior, or play overseas in Sweeden.
Regardless of where he ends up, he left a lot of people within the organization thoroughly impressed as Babcock told Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.
With three preseason games remaining heading into tonight’s matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, there is still a lot to be decided with the Toronto Maple Leafs roster. Either way, you can expect more news in the coming days.
Thanks for reading!