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The Toronto Maple Leafs cut their roster to 26 players on Monday, but still have moves to make before 5pm Tuesday, when all NHL teams must to get down to 23 players for the beginning of the regular season.
The Leafs have 14 forwards, 10 defensemen and two goaltenders on their roster after sending forwards Miro Aaltonen, Frederik Gauthier, Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Tobias Lindberg, Mason Marchment, Trevor Moore, Nikita Soshnikov and Dmytro Timashov, defensemen Travis Dermott, Justin Holl, Andrew Nielsen, Michael Paliotta and Rinat Valiev, and goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo to the Toronto Marlies.
Forwards Colin Greening, Chris Mueller, Kerby Rychel and Ben Smith, defenseman Vincent LoVerde, and goaltender Garret Sparks have been placed on waivers for the purpose of being sent down to the Leafs AHL affiliate and forward Carl Grundstrom has been reassigned to Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League.
The #Leafs roster after cutting down to 26 players this morning. #TMLTalk pic.twitter.com/kV1cgiYMAU
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) October 2, 2017
Toronto has yet to make a decision on the seven or eight defensemen that will make up their blueline corps. Veteran Roman Polak was not released from his professional tryout on Monday (as occurred with many PTO invitees this weekend), which could mean there is an ongoing debate on whether to sign the 31-year-old.
The return of Grundstrom opens up a spot under the 50-man NHL contract limit, which could make room to add Polak.
Swedes Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman are still on the roster, which could be an indicator that both have made the club, since both are waiver exempt and would have sent down on Monday if they had not made the team.
2017 top pick Timothy Liljegren is still on the roster, in spite of playing in only two preseason games. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported last month that it was likely that the 18-year-old defenseman would remain in Toronto and play for the Marlies, but his remaining on the roster could mean that there are negotiations between the Leafs and Liljegren’s SHL club.
The Leafs sent William Nylander back to the SHL after being drafted eighth overall in 2014. Nylander played 21 games for MODO and for Sweden the 2015 World Junior before joining the Marlies in January 2015.
Another possibility is that GM Lou Lamoriello is waiting until the majority of teams make their final decisions before putting a player on waivers that other teams might claim, such as defenseman Martin Marincin or forwards Josh Leivo or Eric Fehr.
Marincin performed the worst of all the defensemen on the bubble at training camp, but it is possible that the Leafs do not want to lose him to another team and have him as a depth option playing in the AHL.
At forward, the demotion of Aaltonen means that either Dominic Moore or Eric Fehr will start the season as the fourth line center. Both veterans played well during training camp and Fehr’s size and ability to play both wing and center might have won him the extra forward job over Leivo.
Knowing that Leivo will not get through waivers, Lamoriello could be exploring trade options for the 24-year-old winger.
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