The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced the first round of cuts to their training camp roster. Heading into their pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Leafs have sent 20 players down to the Toronto Marlies and have put Nick Abruzzese on waivers to do the same.
Who did the Toronto Maple Leafs cut?
The following players have been assigned to the Marlies:
- Matthew Barbolini
- Jacob Frasca
- Bosselin
- Braeden Kressler
- Brandon Lisowsky
- Robert Mastrosimone
- Marko Sikic
- Zach Solow
- Sam Stevens
- Ty Voit
- Matt Anderson
- jacob Bengtsson
- Ryan McCleary
- Tommy Miller
- Rhett Parsons
- Chas Sharpe
- William Villeneuve
- Jon Gilliers
- Dennis Hildeby
- Vyacheslav Peksa
This is not a major surprise- perhaps the biggest surprise is that most of these cuts didn’t happen sooner. Many of the players cut are additional bodies for the Marlies this season, with just a handful of Leafs prospects.
Of all the players sent down as part of this major transfer, the names that do stick out are Abruzzese and Villeneuve, who the organization would like to see take a step forward into being NHLers in the future. Villeneuve at 22-years-old still has some promise in him if he can take a step this year, but Abruzzese is reaching the end of his runway if he doesn’t show that he’s ready for the NHL this season.
Who is left at camp?
Despite making all of these cuts, the Leafs still have a lot more work to do to get down to an NHL roster by the time the season starts. There is still so much to watch for in the pre-season that it is hard to know exactly how the team will lineup on opening night, but with the new faces like Chris Tanev added to complement the team’s Core Four, this should be an exciting season to be a Leafs fan.
