Final Team Cuts.
From the National Post:
Ian White is the new Wade Belak. No, the pint-sized defenceman will not be expected to police the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs. But he will start the season as a forward, a dual role Belak filled for Toronto in years past. White’s spot up front may have cost Boyd Devereaux a job. The veteran was placed on waivers yesterday, while defenceman Staffan Kronwall was sent down to the Toronto Marlies.
“Those decisions are always difficult, when you get down to the bottom of the roster like that, and we decided to go younger instead of going with a veteran,” Toronto general manager Cliff Fletcher said of his decision to cut Devereaux.
Fletcher placed veteran Mark Bell on waivers on Monday — and Bell is now on his way to the Marlies. Waiving and cutting players is one part of the job Fletcher does not relish.
“You are talking about people,” the GM said. “They are more than hockey players. They are individuals. They have families. They have responsibilities and their life is playing professional hockey – and those meetings are never any fun for anybody.”
Thursday’s Expected Season Opener Lineup.
From the National Post:
Coach Ron Wilson may change his mind between now and Thursday night in Detroit but as of Tuesday morning at practice, the Leafs forward lines and defence pairings looked like this.
Forwards |
||
|---|---|---|
| Alexei Ponikarovsky | Nik Antropov | Jason Blake |
| Niklas Hagman | Mikhail Grabovski | Jiri Tlusty |
| Alex Steen | Dominic Moore | Jamal Mayers |
| John Mitchell | Matt Stajan | Ian White |
Defence |
||
| Luke Schenn | Tomas Kaberle | |
| Carlo Colaiacovo | Pavel Kubina | |
| Mike Van Ryn | Jonas Frogren | |
| Anton Stralman | ||
Goal |
||
| Starter | Vesa Toskala | |
| Backup | Curtis Joseph | |
| Not dressed |
||
| Ryan Hollweg | (suspended for two games) | |
| Nikolai Kulemin | (left knee) | |
| Jeff Finger | (right foot) |
Prairie-son, Luke Schenn, from Saskatoon, Sask, has made the cut, and he also signed his three-year entry level contract with Toronto on Tuesday. Schenn is only 18-years-old. He is currently living in a hotel — all by himself — in the big city. Coach Wilson was asked how he thought the kid would cope with the perils of urban life.
“He’s not going to be allowed to read a newspaper, or watch a TV,” Wilson said. “I think he prefers watching Green Acres anyway, because of where he’s actually from. We’ll make sure he gets plenty of DVDs of Green Acres and maybe The Beverly Hillbillies, and shows like that, and he’ll be fine.”
Young Leafs.
From the National Post:
Ten players on the Leafs roster are 25 years of age or younger. Fletcher was asked if Mats Sundin suddenly expressed a desire to return to Toronto, would he be welcome?
“Mats is a different situation,” Fletcher said. “He spent the last 13 hockey seasons here. He has been one of the greatest players in the history of the franchise, and he has given back to the community.
“If Mats wants to finish his career in a blue-and-white uniform, he will finish his career in a blue-and-white uniform.”
In the absence of Sundin, Toronto will start the season by rotating the captaincy among three or four alternate captains to be named Wednesday.
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