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The Toronto Maple Leafs are taking a final look at a few players as we move closer to rosters being cutdown and less than a week to go before the start of the regular season. The Leafs take on the Detroit Red Wings in the first of a home-and-home to finish off a lengthy exhibition schedule at Scotiabank Arena, with a lineup that closely resembles what many expected to be the group that will face the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
The @MapleLeafs roster for tonight’s preseason game versus Detroit at @ScotiabankArena. pic.twitter.com/4f12iPO7NI
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) October 5, 2023
The most surprising inclusion on Thursday is 19-year-old Fraser Minten, who has been eye-opening during training camp. Although it was expected that Minten would be sent back to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, the youngster has played so well that he has earned a longer look from Sheldon Keefe and the Leafs head coach intends to give Minten plenty of ice time against Detroit.
Winger Calle Jarnkrok, who has been nursing a sore neck, returns to the lineup after a lengthy absence, as well as veteran blueliner Mark Giordano, who played two games early but has been kept out for maintenance reasons. Of the expected regulars, Sam Lafferty will not play in favor of Pontus Holmberg, and Simon Benoit fills the spot of John Klingberg.
Klingberg, who has been out of the lineup since September 27th, was on the ice prior to the morning skate and Keefe indicated that he hopes to play in the preseason finale on Saturday, but if not, he is optimistic that the veteran blueliner will be ready for the Habs on Wednesday.
John Klingberg taking part in Leafs optional skate
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 5, 2023
First time on the ice with teammates since upper-body injury on Sept. 27 @TSN_Edge pic.twitter.com/Ut9MQzIonu
Keefe indicated that Ilya Samsonov will get the start on Thursday and Joseph Woll will go on Saturday in Detroit. It appears that the Leafs have locked in on their tandem for the season, and with their tight cap situation, it is a forgone conclusion that Martin Jones will either be placed on waivers or traded before Monday, when NHL clubs have to be cap compliant.
With Tampa Bay likely looking for stop gap options with Andrei Vasilevskiy out until Christmas, Jones could get snapped up by the division rival. A trade to another club (like Colorado) is possible to prevent Jones from falling into the Lightning’s hands.