Maple Leafs announce first round of cuts at training camp

The roster over at Toronto Maple Leafs training camp has shrunk ever so slightly as the team has officially announced their first round of cuts before they hit the ice for the first preseason game on Sunday.

Announced by the team on Saturday afternoon, the Maple Leafs have returned several young players and prospects back to their respecitve junior teams around the continent -- or, actually, just around the province for most of them.

Of course, these returns were expected. Defenseman Rylan Fellinger, and forwards Harry Nansi, Tyler Hopkins, and Matthew Hlacar were just drafted this past June and could use as much time as possible with their respective OHL squads. Especially considering that the OHL season started this weekend, the Leafs might as well move on now and give these teenagers all the time to adjust back to junior hockey after a few days of experience at an NHL training camp.

And two 2024 draft picks, in defenseman Nathan Mayes and forward Sam McCue, are heading into their final year of junior eligibility and as two seventh-round draft picks, are going to try to soak up as much as possible to potentially earn a contract.

Out of this group, maybe the most surprising return is Tyler Hopkins. Just the other day, Hopkins was given a solid opportunity as someone who was elevated into Group 2 at camp, alongside the likes of top prospect Easton Cowan and John Tavares and William Nylander at the top. Of course, that doesn't mean they envision him as someone who can make the team at just 18 years old, but they at least view him as a step up compared to other young prospects who were recently drafted.

Now, these players are going to just try and show up and potentially, like players that are set to play for very good OHL clubs, hope for a championship or two.

Some other potential junior returnees are sticking around beyond this first round cut, though. Defenseman Ben Danford the most notable of the players who are still at Leafs training camp and could possibly even get in the lineup for a preseason game when the exhibition matchups start this Sunday.