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The Maple Leafs didn’t announce cuts on Monday, but you can bet there was pain for those players watching a giddy group head north for two days of bonding in Bracebridge.
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The first bunch at morning practice featured most of the projected lineup that played Thursday’s exhibition game versus Montreal, minus John Tavares and Calle Jarnkrok (both nursing lower body injuries), who worked out ahead of time in red no-contact jerseys.
Both will rejoin full practice this week according to coach Craig Berube, who is also bringing rookie forwards Easton Cowan, Nikita Grebenkin and defenceman Marshall Rifai and may play them in one of the two remaining exhibition games against Detroit at the end of the week. The three goalies on Monday were Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz and Matt Murray.
The AHL Marlies/ECHL Cincinnati group stayed back to practice.
“Management will look at that along with coaches,” a tight-lipped Berube said of when cuts will be official.
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Figuring out the salary-cap consequences is a big part of the final roster makeup before opening night Oct. 9 in Montreal. The Leafs are already $1 million US over the limit and still need Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz to move from PTO contracts to full NHL status, as well as make the call to risk anyone on waivers and place defenceman Jani Hakanpaa on LTIR, though he is nearing a return to full practice.
But for the next couple of days, it’s golf, card games and other off-ice pursuits.
“We’ve done these almost every year that I’ve coached, taken the team away,” Berube said of his previous stops in St. Louis and Philadelphia. “It’s a great time for these guys to get together. It’s hard in camp, there’s a lot on the move (Berube and two new assistant coaches have different system ideas than Sheldon Keefe) and nice to get our team together, with some extra guys, to bond a bit, hang out as a staff; coaches, trainers, management.”
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Monday’s workout did have some intrigue to it when William Nylander spent the majority of time back on right wing with Max Domi at centre and Bobby McMann on the left. Nylander only has played one game in his much-debated shift to the middle, his second attempt an injury-shortened stint on Thursday.
“Tavares was out, there was a little hybrid today,” Berube said of the change. “I want Max and Willy taking reps in the middle.
“A work in progress is the way I’ve put it. It’s not easy just to switch over and play centre. There’s a lot more on your plate. But (Nylander) has done a pretty good job. Throughout the season, it would be nice to have a right-handed faceoff guy (Nylander). We don’t have one (among incumbents Auston Matthews, Tavares, Domi and David Kampf).”
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Nylander, who opined a few days ago he wanted a longer leash in the middle than Keefe gave him, was fine with the switch on Monday.
‘It’s still training camp. It’s no big deal, wherever I end up playing it doesn’t matter. It takes time when you’re going to change position. Versatility is good if I have to play there for a shift or two or go to the wing a shift or two. Good for both of us (he and Domi).”
Nylander says he’s ready for a brief respite from workouts after nearly two weeks.
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“A lot of skating, a lot of battling, a hard, physical camp. (The benefit this week) is to hang out with the guys, the ones you haven’t met before and build that chemistry.”
Ryan Reaves couldn’t wait to hit the links over a couple of beers and play a card/board horse racing game called Derby Days that was a hit last autumn.
“It’s electric,” he assured. “Ask (Tavares). I’ve never seen Johnny light up more than when we played this. He comes out of his shell once in a while, but he lost his shell when he saw this one.”
Nylander laughed when Reaves’ comment was relayed to him.
“It was pretty late at night.”
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