The Toronto Maple Leafs Roster Is Set (In My Mind at Least)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made some cuts, but nothing that would surprise you.

Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Montreal Canadiens in their third to last pre-season game.

The Leafs defeated Montreal 3-0 last week, and will probably also beat them tonight, since they are using a roster than includes both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. 

Tonight’s game will feature the likes of Gaudette, Mette, Holberg, Kral and Abruzzes.  Basically, it will be the last chance for some bubble guys to stay in camp.  This links to the full lineup.

Toronto Maple Leafs Make Some Cuts

The Leafs cut seven players today.  Previously they cut Ty Voit, but he wasn’t even originally supposed to be at camp, and only came to fill in as an injury replacement before going back to junior.

These barely qualify as cuts.  Not one of these guys was expected to challenge for a job in the NHL, and they didn’t.  Nothing wrong with that, every team needs an AHL team, and the Marlies should be all-right this year.

Of the players cut, only Pavel Gogolev is of interest right now, and while he’s a fairly interesting prospect, he’s also not even in the top 15 of Leafs prospects at this point.

The Toronto Maple Leafs still have about 40 players in camp, and while it’s always fun, especially with all the injuries, to see who will ultimately make it, there really isn’t any secret about who will be on the Leafs roster when they play Montreal for real next week.

Bunting – Matthews – Marner

Robertson – Kerfoot – Nylander

Engvall –  Kampf – Jarnkrok 

Aston-Reese –  Gaudette – Aube-Kabel 

Rielly – Brodie

Muzzin – Holl 

Giordano – Sandin 

Matt Murray 

There are only a couple of things that might happen to keep this from being what the Leafs dress next Wednesday.

They might put Rielly on the right side and come up with some whacky new D pairings.

They might use Denis Malgin to avoid losing him, and start Robertson in the AHL (dumb move, btw, but possible).

They might also decide they want to stay friends with Wayne Simmonds and keep him on as a 13th forward, which they can do if Tavares goes LTIR.

They might suffer even more injuries, or someone becomes unexpected healthy earlier than expected.

They trade Kerfoot before the season starts, and use Nylander at centre.

They trade Muzzin before the season starts, and use Mete until Liljegren is ready. \

So basically, an absolute ton of things could happen to disrupt the above lineup, but realistically, I think Robertson and Malgin are the two guys who will make it out out of the ones who actually have a chance.

Expect Holmberg, Steeves and Abruzzes to get cut.

Expect a trade.

The Toronto Maple Leafs roster won’t be set for a few days, but I think you can squint and more or less tell what it will be next Wednesday.   That’s how I’m able to call it right now: Both Robertson and Malgin will make the team.