Preseason: sens @ Leafs - Sept. 21st, 7:30PM - TSN, TSN 1050

[CarltonTheBear]

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Split-squad game tonight! There will be games in both Toronto and Ottawa. LeafsTV is carrying the away game, TSN will have the home game. Hendrick says that Bernier is expected to start in Toronto while Reimer goes in Ottawa. Further roster updates will be up later. But for now...

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[CarltonTheBear]

Paul Hendrick tweeted this picture of the Leafs roster against Ottawa from game 82 of the 13/14 season (I don't know why):

Crazy to see the amount of turnover though from then to now. Just 7 skaters still on the team, and a number of them could be moved out over the year too.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Rosters have been announced:

Toronto squad	Ottawa squad
Bozak Brown Carrick Grabner Komarov Leipsic Marner Nylander Panik Parenteau Setoguchi Soshnikov Spaling JVR Winnik Campbell Fraser Gardiner Loov Marincin Percy Polak Rielly Bernier Bibeau	Arcobello Bailey Boyes Clune Frattin Froese Gauthier Glencross Holland Hyman Kadri Kapanen Leivo Lupul Matthias Timashov Brennan Dermott Harrington Hunwick Nielsen Phaneuf Robidas Valiev Reimer Sparks Madore

 

[Crucialness Key]

Timashov -- Gauthier -- Kapanen  OH YEAHHHHHHH 

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Marner is listed on the Toronto squad but none of the projected forward lines being put out on Twitter have him listed.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Speaking of lines:

JVR - Bozak - Brown
Winnik - Spaling - Parenteau
Grabner - Nylander - Setoguchi
Leipsic - Carrick - Panik

Gardiner - Rielly
Marincin - Polak
Loov - Percy
Campbell - Fraser

So at this point it looks like Marner will be sitting with Komarov & Soshnikov. Seems a little odd to have your most recent 1st round pick sitting in your first home pre-season game but alas here we are.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Lines from Ottawa:

Matthias-Kadri-Lupul
Timashov-Holland-Boyes
Glencross-Arcobello-Kapanen
Hyman-Froese-Clune

Hunwick-Phaneuf
Harrington-Robidas
Dermott-Nielsen
Valiev-Brennan

Can we read anything into these? Well it looks like we might be seeing our top-6 forwards and defence basically in place:

JVR-Bozak-______
Matthias-Kadri-Lupul

Hunwick-Phaneuf
Gardiner-Rielly
Marincin-Polak

 

[Kin]

Can we read anything into these? Well it looks like we might be seeing our top-6 forwards and defence basically in place:

JVR-Bozak-______
Matthias-Kadri-Lupul

I really think that the blank spot/Matthias will be largely rotated throughout the year. I mean, you'd say that they'd stick with someone if they really clicked with the other two but given what results they actually want this year that might not even be the case.

 

[bustaheims]

Can we read anything into these? Well it looks like we might be seeing our top-6 forwards and defence basically in place:

JVR-Bozak-______
Matthias-Kadri-Lupul

Hunwick-Phaneuf
Gardiner-Rielly
Marincin-Polak

At this point, it's probably too early to read into them. Probably more of a case of going with some history to start while Babcock gets a little more familiar with the roster.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I really think that the blank spot/Matthias will be largely rotated throughout the year. I mean, you'd say that they'd stick with someone if they really clicked with the other two but given what results they actually want this year that might not even be the case.

That sounds about right. I'd expect Matthias, Parenteau, Winnik, and Boyes/Glencross/Setoguchi (I think one will probably earn a contract) to rotate through those 2 spots throughout the year.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

At this point, it's probably too early to read into them. Probably more of a case of going with some history to start while Babcock gets a little more familiar with the roster.

Maybe. But with the defence in particular there's only 1 pairing with familiarity there, and Babcock has spoken about liking Rielly and Gardiner together. Like with the forwards there will probably be movement throughout the year (I'd be curious to check with Detroit fans about how much Babcock tinkered with his line-up during the season), but I think there's a solid chance that's how the defence looks to start the season.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Speaking of lines:

JVR - Bozak - Brown
Winnik - Spaling - Parenteau
Grabner - Nylander - Setoguchi
Leipsic - Carrick - Panik

Gardiner - Rielly
Marincin - Polak
Loov - Percy
Campbell - Fraser

So at this point it looks like Marner will be sitting with Komarov & Soshnikov. Seems a little odd to have your most recent 1st round pick sitting in your first home pre-season game but alas here we are.

Gauthier is also absent.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Gauthier is also absent.

Yup, he's in Ottawa and likely sitting with Bailey from the look of things. There's more forwards than spots to go around so someone has to sit. There's another game tomorrow so everyone scratched will almost definitely be playing then.

 

[Leafaholic99]

Which team will Babs be with? I kind of want to watch the game in Ottawa since Reims is in net, but also want to watch and see how Babcock coaches the team he is with.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Which team will Babs be with? I kind of want to watch the game in Ottawa since Reims is in net, but also want to watch and see how Babcock coaches the team he is with.

Babcock's in Toronto, Keefe is in Ottawa.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Gauthier is also absent.

Yup, he's in Ottawa and likely sitting with Bailey from the look of things. There's more forwards than spots to go around so someone has to sit. There's another game tomorrow so everyone scratched will almost definitely be playing then.

This makes me wondering if another trade might be part of moves made prior to the start of the season. Babcock mentioned, after 3 games in 2 days, that they should have a really good idea of what they have by Wednesday.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

This makes me wondering if another trade might be part of moves made prior to the start of the season. Babcock mentioned, after 3 games in 2 days, that they should have a really good idea of what they have by Wednesday.

I think that more-so meant that they're keeping a large training camp roster because of the 3 games in 2 days, and that on Wednesday there will be a round of large cuts. I'd expect that by then we'll basically be left with the NHLers + top prospects.

 

[bustaheims]

I think that more-so meant that they're keeping a large training camp roster because of the 3 games in 2 days, and that on Wednesday there will be a round of large cuts. I'd expect that by then we'll basically be left with the NHLers + top prospects.

Yeah. I imagine they'll be down to guys who have a legit shot at playing in the NHL this season by then.

 

[jonlleafs]

Can we read anything into these? Well it looks like we might be seeing our top-6 forwards and defence basically in place:

JVR-Bozak-______
Matthias-Kadri-Lupul

Hunwick-Phaneuf
Gardiner-Rielly
Marincin-Polak

At this point, it's probably too early to read into them. Probably more of a case of going with some history to start while Babcock gets a little more familiar with the roster.

I don't think Kadri and Lupul really clicked last year.  They had some plays but my sense from watching the games was that they just couldn't make it happen consistently.  I'd be more interested in seeing Kadri with say Grabner and/or Parenteau and see how it goes.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Can we read anything into these? Well it looks like we might be seeing our top-6 forwards and defence basically in place:

JVR-Bozak-______
Matthias-Kadri-Lupul

Hunwick-Phaneuf
Gardiner-Rielly
Marincin-Polak

At this point, it's probably too early to read into them. Probably more of a case of going with some history to start while Babcock gets a little more familiar with the roster.

I don't think Kadri and Lupul really clicked last year.  They had some plays but my sense from watching the games was that they just couldn't make it happen consistently.  I'd be more interested in seeing Kadri with say Grabner and/or Parenteau and see how it goes.

I might be wrong, but I feel like a Lupul-Kadri-Winnik/Komarov line would be interesting, I feel like we also might have seen it before.