DETROIT — Nothing is official just yet as far as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ opening night roster goes, but coach Mike Babcock has spread out the tea leaves for you to read.
“I pretty much had the roster in practice. It’s right there,” Babcock said following Saturday’s 5-1 pre-season loss in Detroit.
“You’re talking about seventh and eighth D, and you’re talking about the second goalie, and the 13th or 14th forward if that’s what you decide to do.”
Trying to fend off AHL champ Garret Sparks and hold on to his role as Frederik Andersen’s backup this season, veteran Curtis McElhinney began practising with Babcock’s NHL-ready group this week. The 35-year-old cracked a joke as he entered Saturday’s scrum and looked at ease for a man who just gave up five.
McElhinney was asked if he expects to be holding the Leafs clipboard when the dust settles — and it must by 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
“Yeah, I think so. I felt pretty good all camp,” McElhinney said. “This game, I’ll chock it up to an anomaly. I’ll say it was one-time thing. That’s in their hands now, and they need to make that decision.”
In 5-1 losses behind AHL defences, neither McElhinney nor Sparks stole the job outright in their most recent 60-minute outings, but Sparks was much harder on himself after his.
“I don’t know if there’ll be much reflection,” McElhinney shrugged. “It’s just one of those games we’re going to toss in the trash. Individually, as far as my performance, I’m not too happy with it. The other two periods I got in [versus Buffalo] were good.”
As the Leafs finish their pre-season with a 6-2 record and a welcomed day off Sunday, Babcock said no decisions on bubble players were made based on Saturday’s action, which featured contending fringe defencemen Justin Holl, Calle Rosen and Connor Carrick.
Holl said there were a few shifts he’d like to execute better but that he’s optimistic his performance over the past 16 days gave him a chance to stick.
“I hope that’s the case, but it’s a crazy business,” Holl said. “So you’re prepared for anything.”
Of the three defencemen, only Rosen doesn’t require waivers to be assigned to the AHL Marlies. All three goalies must pass, and there is a belief that due to his age and ceiling, McElhinney would have an easier time clearing the process than Sparks, a 25-year-old AHL goaltender of the year, giving GM Kyle Dubas & Co. more time to evaluate Sparks as a big-leaguer.
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The small upside to William Nylander’s unsigned contract is that it could buy the Leafs an extended tryout at forward, too.
“There’s lots of things that are very obvious, and there are other things that are not quite as clear. You can use the rules with the roster and that to buy yourself time if need be,” Babcock said. “If there’s something that can buy you time, then you take the time so you make the best decision.
“The beauty of that is, I just get to provide by input and Kyle will decide when he tells you.”
