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The battle for the last few roster spots will be center stage for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, as they play the Detroit Red Wings in the final game of the preseason at Air Canada Center. The Leafs will sit top liners Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel(who are nursing lower body injuries), Nazem Kadri, Joffrey Lupul, David Clarkson and injured defenseman Cody Franson(still recovering from a bruised knee) in their eighth exhibition game in just over two weeks.
Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle is giving the club’s youngsters one last chance to impress management before the club cuts down to 23 players(or less) this weekend.
Clarkson participated in the morning skate at ACC wearing a full face shield to protect the fractured orbital bone suffered one week ago in Buffalo, but the Leafs are being cautious. Veteran defenseman Stephane Robidas was cleared for contact last weekend and will make his Leaf debut paired with team captain Dion Phaneuf.
Besides the top pairing of Phaneuf and Robidas, Jake Gardiner will be playing with veteran Roman Polak, while sophomore Morgan Rielly will partner with rookie Stuart Percy. If Franson is unable to return from his knee injury in time for the season opener, the defensive pairings used against the Wings on Friday could be same used against Montreal on Wednesday.
In the absence of linemates Bozak and Kessel, James van Riemsdyk will line up with center Mike Santorelli and 2014 top pick William Nylander, Nazem Kadri centers Joffrey Lupul and Josh Leivo, Peter Holland will be between wingers Carter Ashton and Matt Frattin,while Daniel Winnik lines up with Leo Komarov and Brandon Kozun.
Toronto currently has nine defensemen and that number could go down to as low as six depending on Franson’s playing status. Inactive rookie Viktor Loov is most likely headed back to MODO in the SHL for another season, Percy is the likely stand-in for Franson if he is unable to go to start the season and Korbinian Holzer will either be a depth player or placed on waivers to be sent to the AHL.
At forward, there appears to be room at most for one enforcer and that would favor the veteran Orr over McLaren. If Carlyle decides to carry 14 forwards, both Kozun and rookie Josh Leivo could make the club over Ashton, who is seeing his first action in over a week.
Nylander has had his moments in his first pro training camp, but the consensus of most observers is that this will be the last that we will see of the talented 18-year-old in a Leaf uniform until training camp next September. The eighth overall pick has boatloads of offensive skill, but is not ready to challenge for an NHL job with his current physical makeup and inexperience. The only dilemma appears to be whether he will play in Sweden or in the American Hockey League this season.
Jonathan Bernier will start in goal for Toronto.
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