Toronto Maple Leafs Take Final Cuts Right Down to the Waiver Wire

The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t seem to be in any rush.

While other teams have made several rounds of cuts, the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp has been quiet lately, but the Leafs are finally close to making their final cuts ahead of the 2022-23 season.

As these cuts are made, several Leafs players will have to clear waivers before they can be assigned to play with the Toronto Marlies.

As the team prepares for their final pre-season games, their practice roster has looked like this:

Bunting – Matthews – Marner
Robertson – Nylander – Malgin
Engvall – Kerfoot – Jarnkrok
Aston-Reese – Kampf – Aube-Kubel

Reilly – Brodie
Muzzin – Holl
Giordano – Sandin

Murray
Samsonov

(Extras: Simmonds, Gaudette, Steeves, Holmberg, Clifford, Kral, Mete)

The biggest remaining factor in determining the Toronto Maple Leafs opening night roster, however, is the injury status of John Tavares.

There seems to be three scenarios: Tavares plays opening night, Tavares misses an expected three games due to his injury or Tavares misses 10 games to receive LTIR status.

If Tavares plays on opening night, the Leafs can dress a cap compliant 20 player roster.  If he misses his originally diagnosed three games, the Leafs would have to either shorten their bench to 19 players or make a trade to become cap compliant.

Some new rumours suggest that the Toronto Maple Leafs may decide to rest Tavares an extra week to make sure he’s fully healed and ready to start the season.  If that’s the case, the team would get enough injury relief to keep a 23 player roster.

Toronto Maple Leafs Down to the Waiver Wire

No matter what the Leafs roster sizes ends up being, there are three players that are most certainly hitting the waiver wire: Joey Anderson, Mac Hollowell and Jordie Benn.  They haven’t been officially cut yet but haven’t been skating with the team in practice.

Anderson and Hollowell both cleared waivers during call-ups last season, so they’re likely to clear again.  Because of his injury, it’s unlikely that Jordie Benn would get claimed either.

The next batch of players likely to be placed on waivers would be Kyle Clifford, Adam Gaudette, Wayne Simmonds and Victor Mete.  If Tavares does qualify for LTIR, the Leafs could keep 3 of these 4 players on a 23 player roster.

Clifford is a safe bet to clear waivers, but I’m not too sure about the other three.  Gaudette was claimed on waivers last season and Mete was claimed the season before last.  Simmonds has never been placed on waivers before.

If Tavares plays on opening night or if Toronto starts with a 19 player roster, they may need to place Denis Malgin on waivers.  Malgin has had an excellent training camp and deserves to play, but there may be no other option.