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Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Storylines After First Day of Training Camp

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 09: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs look on following their lose to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 09, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 09: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs look on following their lose to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 09, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Jul 13, 2020; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson (89) during a NHL workout at the Ford Performance Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

#3. Alexander Barabanov In as 12th Forward, Nick Robertson Out

The first day of training camp shouldn’t determine the opening night line-up, but it’s definitely an indication of what’s going to happen. As you can see in the tweet below, Sheldon Keefe currently has Alexander Barabanov in the lineup, instead of Nick Robertson.

The Leafs will have a taxi squad that will allow them to frequently alternate who dresses and who sits.  As a waiver exempt player, Robertson, along with Pierre Engvall is likely to come in and out of the lineup a lot, as is Barabanov.  Players like Vesey and Simmonds aren’t necessarily better or going to help the team more, but they’ll benefit from potentially being lost if moved to the taxi squad, so they are likely to get first crack at jobs.

Barabanov is a 26-year-old forward who’s been playing professional hockey since 2013, whereas Robertson only has four NHL games under his belt.

Robertson can only play six more games until he burns one season of his Entry Level Contract, so you may as well keep him on the Taxi-Squad to train with the Leafs and get better as a professional, before putting him in the line-up everyday. The Leafs don’t need Robertson this season, as much as they’ll need him next year, as the team will have six UFA forward spots to fill.

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