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[onebeforeidie]

Toronto Raptors Long Road to the NBA Finals

Next year will be the 25th year in Toronto Raptors franchise history. It’s been a very interesting two and a half decades, from adopting a dinosaur and playing in the cavernous Skydome, to having NBA star after NBA star reject the team and refuse to report or demand a trade, to the highs of the Vinsanity era, followed by more years of darkness and incompetence.

But for the sake of brevity, let’s attempt to tell the story of how the Raptors got where they are now, and begin where this run truly began. 

PROLOGUE (2011-2012)

It’s the 2011 off-season. The Raptors just won 22 games and are now years removed from the “successful” first round exits of 2007 (New Jersey) and 2008 (Orlando). After several attempts by GM Bryan Colangelo to find the right combination of players to make the playoffs consistently in the East, the team now appears fully lost with the only real option left to scorch earth rebuild. The previous summer, Chris Bosh moved on to Miami, only to lose to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. After which, their assistant coach Dwayne Casey, praised for his defensive schemes on the big 3, becomes available and the Raps bring him in as head coach to start a new program built on fundamentals and pounding the rock. 

It’s the lockout year, and the Raps suck again finishing 23-43, lacking any kind of distinct identity despite Casey’s efforts. Colagelo makes a full court press to bring in former MVP and Canadian hero Steve Nash to mentor and lead the group on the hardwood. After an intense courtship, we ultimately whiff and Nash spurns his home country, deciding he is better off playing for the Lakers. We also make a brief play for current Raptors benchwarmer Jeremy Lin (infamous for his Linsanity run with the Knicks), but eventually settle for Kyle Lowry as the man to run their offense. Colangelo traded a protected first round pick and Gary Forbes to Houston for the Philly Bulldog  (who eventually flip that pick to OKC for James Harden - ironic considering that we previously declined a version of that trade as OKC wanted the man we drafted with the 5th overall pick Jonas Valanciunas, Jose Calderon, and Terrance Ross, but Colangelo balked). 

Colangelo eventually trades Calderon and Ed Davis to Memphis for Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi instead (Pistons were involved as a third team) midway through the 2012-13 season, which finally gave us a player who could take a late 4th quarter shot for the first time in a long time, but Gay’s lack of efficiency couldn’t take them over the hump and they finished 34-48 which forced the teams hand. 

The Raptors remove Colangelo as GM that offseason, and brought in Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri, who Colangelo had hired years earlier as his director of global scouting in 2007, and then promoted to assistant GM in 2008. The plan was for Colangelo to remain on, but he quickly stepped down as he became aware this would be Ujiri’s team moving forward. It should be noted, Masai brought with him, from the NBA league office, current Raptors GM Bobby Webster who he groomed to be his ultimate successor once he eventually assumed the President’s role. 

And thus, with Ujiri and the only remaining current Raptor from that era, Kyle Lowry, the We The North Era begins.

CHAPTER 1 (2013-14) - An Unlikely Beginning 

Ujiri’s first order of business is to fleece the New York Knicks, flipping maligned Raptor and prized Colangelo possession Andrea Bargnani for a first round pick, and two seconds (also Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, and Marcus Camby, the latter two would never suit up for the Raps as it was simply a salary dump). For more on the Bargs trade tree read up here: https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors-trade-masai-ujiri-andrea-bargnani-jakob-poeltl/

Masai also decides to keep his inherited coach, feeling he had not gotten a proper shake with a competitive group. 

However the team struggles early, and Masai is prompted to trade Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to Sacramento for Grevious Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, Chuck Hayes, and John Salmons. This appears to be the true beginning of another earth scorching, as Andrew Wiggins was the prize in that year’s draft and Raptor fans were more than happy to tank for a shot at him. 

Masai is also back in talks with the Knicks about Kyle Lowry, and essentially had a deal in place to move him there for another first round pick, Iman Shumpert and Metta World Peace. But still sore from the Bargs debacle, New York pulls out of the deal at the last minute. 

Which suited the Raptors just fine, who since the Gay trade in December had turned things around and pulled together playing team basketball. They went on on a major run with DeMar leading the team. He went to All-Star weekend, and kept it rolling in the second half with the team ending up winning a franchise high 48 games and the division. 

They draw the veteran laiden Brooklyn Nets, lead by Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce, and fight them tooth and nail to a 7th game. The Raptors fall short in the final seconds, but it was extremely memorable run for the fans who expected nothing of the sort that season and who immediately took to the We The North campaign. Jurassic Park got it’s life here and was made famous by Masai’s “FUCK BROOKLYN” comments to pump up the crowd prior to Game 1. 

Outgoing Raptors: Julyan Stone, Nando De Colo, Austin Daye, Dwight Buycks, DJ Augustin

Chapter 2 (2014-15) - The Sophmore Slump

It’s the Raptors 20th Anniversary year and Masai is tasked with making his first post playoff adjustments. He trades John Salmons to Atlanta for Lou Williams and Bebe. The team would start on fire, 24-8 out of the gate and go on to win another division and finish with another franchise high 49 wins. Williams would go on to to win 6th man of the year. 

Sadly they get destroyed in the playoffs with both Lowry and DeRozan struggling. The Wizards swept the Raptors 4-0, and nemesis Paul Piece, now having moved on to Washington, gets the last laugh once again. 

Outgoing Raptors:  Landry Fields, Tyler Hansborough, Chuck Hayes, Amir Johnson, Grevious Vasquez, Lou Williams, Greg Steimsma.

Chapter 3 (2015-16) - The Breakthrough

Masai shakes things up again this time refocusing on defense, trading Grevious Vasquez for a 2nd round pick that would be used on now second longest tenured Raptor Norman Powell, and a 1st round pick that would eventually be used to acquire Serge Ibaka the following year. He also signs DeMarre Caroll to a big free agent contract, and brings home Toronto boy Corey Joseph to be the backup point guard. He also signs veteran Luis Scola. 

The moves once again pay off, as Toronto wins a monumental 56 games and their third straight division title. The city also hosts the All-Star game for the first time, which both Lowry and DeRozan represent. The dunk competition is arguably the most memorable one since Vince broke the wheel in 2000, with Aaron Gordon and Zach Levine facing off in an insane finals (which Levine won by a hair). 

The Raps win their first playoff series since beating the Knicks in 2001 (and second all time), barely creeping by Paul George and the Indiana Pacers in 7 games. They would take another 7 games to beat Dwayne Wade and Miami in the second round, going the farthest they’ve ever gone in the playoffs, before bowing out to LeBron and the Cavs in 6 in the eastern final, which ended on home court with the fans chanting in support much to Lebron’s shock and awe. The Cavs would go on to comeback and upset the Warriors in a memorable NBA Finals. 

Outgoing Raptors:  Anthony Bennett, Bismack Biyombo, James Johnson, Jason Thompson, Luis Scola

Chapter 4 (2016-17) - The Step Back

The Raptors make a huge financial commitment to DeMar DeRozan in the summer, signing him to a max contract after talk he may go home to join the Lakers. The Raps win 51 games, but fail to continue their streak of division titles with the rising Boston Celtics surging ahead of them. Masai makes two big deadline deals for Ibaka and big body PJ Tucker, but they are not enough as they slog past a young Milwaukee Bucks team 4-2 in the first round, but proceed to get swept by LeBron and the Cavs in the 2nd.

Outgoing Raptors:  DeMarre Caroll, Jared Sullinger, Corey Joseph, Patrick Patterson, Terrance Ross, PJ Tucker

Chapter 5 (2017-18) - The Breaking Point

Masai looks to make significant changes to the way the team plays basketball on both offence and defense in an effort to keep up with the changing NBA landscape, despite bringing back Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka on big short term deals. They pay Brooklyn a first round pick to take the oft-injured Caroll of their hands, send Corey Joseph to Indiana, and look to get younger, more athletic, and move the ball. CJ Miles is brought in to help address three point shooting. Coach Casey succeeds impressively in this overhaul, wins 59 games, the division, finished with the best record in the East, and won Coach of the Year. DeMar has an impressive campaign as well, including dropping a franchise high 52 against in the Bucks on New Year’s day. But it’s all for not, as they get some slight revenge on the Washinton Wizards beating them 4-2 in the first round, but losing to LeBron and the Cavs for a third straight season, once again getting swept in the second round. 

Masai wrings his hands and is forced to make some impossible choices. He fires the reigning coach of the year, ultimately determining a change was necessary to get to the next level. He then moves face of the franchise DeMar, for one year of Kawhi and Danny Green, a polarizing trade that put the entire league on notice. 

Masai would also finally eat crow and move on from his “Brazillian KD” draft pick who was famously two years away from being two years away. 

Outgoing Raptors:  DeMar Derozan, Jakub Poetl, Nigel Hayes, Lucas Nogiera, Alfonso Mckinnie, Bruno Caboclo. 

Chapter 6 (2018-19) - The Promised Land

Nick Nurse is promoted to head coach in somewhat of an awkward situation, and Kawhi has his load managed by the team to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Masai makes another tough deadline deal, this time sending fan favorite Jonas Valancuinas, Delon Wright, and CJ Miles to Memphis for Marc Gasol. The team isn’t as good as last year as due to injuries was rarely together all at the same time, but still wins 58 games, the division, and finished 2nd in the East. They also sign guards Jodie Meeks and Jeremy Lin to fill out the bench. 

They pull together in the playoffs on the back of a dominant Kawhi Leonard who by now had blossomed into everything they hoped he would be as an injured superstar when they acquired him nearly a year ago, quickly dispensing with Orlando 4-1 before beating Philly in 7 games in the second round, 18 years after Vince missed that final shot. This time the narrative ends with Kawhi hitting his now famous four time bouncing buzzer beater, and the Raps move to one seed Milwaukee in the eastern final. After falling down 2-0, they would storm back to win the next 4, giving the team their first ever NBA Finals birth against the Golden State Warriors. 

Outgoing Raptors:  Jonas Valancuinas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles, Greg Monroe, Malachi Richardson, Lorenzo Brown

The series ahead will be hard fought one against an all-time juggernaut team that has been to four straight finals, and won three of them. Lead by, at the time, an eight year old kid that Raptors fan watched warm up and shoot pre-game threes during the Vince era. Whatever happens, it will be squarely on the backs of two people. Sure it will take Kawhi being an absolute monster and he will play the hero role should they win and rightfully so, but as the man himself said, this team was not built in one year.  So I look to Masai Ujiri, who very clearly orchestrated this patiently and cold bloodedly, and Kyle Lowry, the only Raptor to have been through it all with him. Masai arrived and proceeded to make the playoffs 6 straight years after the Raptors only made it 5 times in the previous 18 seasons. He kept on a coach he did not hire for as long as he could and reaped the rewards for doing so, and still made the hard decision when he had to. He drafted and signed players like Pascal Siakam, Fred Van Vleet, Norman Powell, and OG and did so by managing to bring in the Raptors 905 (who also won a championship in his time as well). He also kept a point guard he almost traded, and never looked back. Lowry rewarded him with 5 division titles in 6 years, averaged 53.5 wins a year, made the all star team 5 times, was an all NBA player in 2016, and won gold with Team USA basketball that same year. Kyle and Masai’s relationship took a hit after the trade of his best friend (despite paying him 100 million the year before) but rest assured, should the Raptors do the unthinkable and win this series, they will be hugging on the floor and it will be a truly glorious moment. 

Let’s hope they find a way. 

2019 Raptors Playoff Roster: Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Fred Vanvleet, Norm Powell, OG Anunoby, Patrick McCaw, Jeremy Lin, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Loyd, Malcom Miller, Chris Boucher, and Eric Moreland.  

#WETHENORTH

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5 Players The Maple Leafs Should Be Targeting on Defense

With the end of William Nylander’s contract stalemate hopefully imminent any day now, and Auston’s returning from injury this week or next, the team can finally get back to full strength and start to focus on fine tuning for the stretch drive in the spring. They will ultimately have a couple months to figure out where they have a surplus, and who they can afford to move to bring in reinforcements. 

Everyone and their mother knows they need to bring in a d-man. Preferably a 1B, or at least a 2. We have the cap space for this season to bring in someone of significance, but anything longer term will present some possible issues depending on who is outgoing and if/what Nylander eventually signs for, (although letting Gardiner walk via free agency could alleviate some of those concerns if you bring in the right player and contract).

We’ve heard a bunch of teams discussed ad nausem including Carolina’s many options, as well as the Ducks and the Rangers,  but here are a few that make a ton of sense to me that I haven’t even heard much of a whisper about;

5.  Shayne Gostibehere

At 4.5M for 4 more years, there is a risk worth taking here as bad as he’s been lately. Philly is on course for a shakeup with the recent Hextall firing, and Ghost’s name has been rumored for a little while now so he is far from untouchable. You might also pry a name like Wayne Simmonds out in a package too. He’s on an expiring contract and would be a perfect tough body for a playoff run to add some piss and vinegar to this team without being a liability defensively.

4. Niklas Hjalmarsson 

Arizona’s prize d-man OEL is probably not available, but their alt captain might be. He’s only 4.1M this season, and 5M for two more. He’s got playoff experience, is a RD, and checks most of the boxes. There’s a lot to like here.

3. Aaron Ekblad

This one is unlikely to happen. The outgoing cost would be high and his salary, albeit controlled at 7.5M for the next 6 seasons, would be very difficult to bring in right now. That said, Florida is a tire fire in last place right now and prone to stupid decisions. If you look at this as the long term Gardiner replacement, and any of the outgoing player(s) are off the current roster and due significant raises (Kap, Johnsson etc), that should make up the salary difference. Ek is one of the best young RH defencemen in the game and his value is lower than it should be right now. A more perfect long term pairing for Morgan I could not imagine. You need to try to pounce on this if you can make it happen as impossible as it might seem. 

2. Alex Pietrangelo 

We would get him at 6.9M for this playoff run, and one more next year as well. 28 year old Toronto boy that’s a right D who would be a picture perfect fit. St. Louis will have to be close to blowing things up by the deadline currently in 2nd last in the West. He might not cost you as much as you might think, and the term is perfect to get you through 2020 and allows you let Gardiner walk without affecting the cap in a drastic way. Colton Parayko is another name that’s been discussed, and he is cheaper and controlled for another year longer, but he would probably cost more asset wise and personally I’d prefer Pietro’s experience and leadership.

1. Duncan Keith

Chicago is rebuilding and Keith is a veteran war horse who could lead our core to the promised land. He’s a bit dusty, but a move to this market with this crew could prove to be an injection that wakes him back up for a final year or two. He’s on a very affordable 5.5M deal, albeit a year or two longer than you’d like that goes until he’s 40. I still take this on any chance you get. I have no idea why nobody is talking about doing whatever you can to pry him out of there. He’s likely not going to cost you any real significant piece off your current roster either. Yes he’s an LD, but to bring in a guy like this to be a part of your leadership group for the next several playoff runs is an opportunity you cannot miss. 

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 A look back. Man, the chills. Especially the few lines starting at 15:07. “Once we make it safe, they’re coming home... Mark my words. They’ll be comin”

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Top 10 2018-19 Away Games to Plan A Road Trip For

Leafs fans love to travel. In many cases, they don’t even need to, and are already transplanted. Almost every arena you go to, plan to see plenty of blue and white in the crowd. It makes Leaf fans feel at home wherever they go, and really does help to create that sense of community. A Maple Leafs season would not be complete without hitting the road for a game at least once or twice, plus it will still definitely be cheaper than seeing a game at home!

10) Thursday Oct 11th @ Detroit Red Wings

The Wings may be in rebuild mode, but the new Little Caesars arena is something to behold. Only a modest 4.5 hours away, you can even stay in Windsor on the Canadian side if downtown motown doesn’t feel like your thing. A shot to see Henrik Zetterberg likely lace them up one final time. 

9) Tues Dec 4th @ Buffalo Sabres

The trek down the QEW is a right of passage for Leafs fan that isn’t complete until you see the Sabres destroy us. Only 1.5 hours, a very reasonable price, it’s a must for any fan, except for the fact that it doesn’t matter how good we are or how bad they are, we almost always tend to drive home miserable. A Leafs win in Buffalo is like a unicorn. At a certain point, when do we stop subjecting ourselves to this misery? Probably never. Jack Eichel and new #1 pick Rasmus Dahlin are worth the price of admission. 

8) Sat April 6th @ Montreal Canadiens

Montreal is an amazing city and one always worth spending the weekend in. As far as fan experiences go though, the one here isn’t the best for Leaf fans for a variety of reasons. That said, Centre Bell is still a must see stop if you are checking off arenas, and while the game probably doesn’t matter by that point it will still be fun to roast the Habs on the final Hockey Night in Canada of the year and put the final nail in their season’s coffin as we get ready for the playoffs and they sulk off miserably to play some golf. 

7) Fri Nov 23rd @ Columbus Blue Jackets

There are some great hockey fans in Columbus, who can be extremely welcoming. They are just dying to talk hockey with real hockey fans! The arena is nice, the downtown core is quaint and easy to navigate, and you can check off seeing that illustrious cannon go off. 

6) Saturday Nov 3rd @ Pittsburgh Penguins

Only a 5.5 hour drive, the new Consol Energy Centre has been open more than a few years now but still has some shine on it. Pittsburgh is a fun cheap city with some surprisingly beautiful escarpment, just stay within walking distance because good luck finding a cab after the game. 

5) Tues Mar 19th @ Nashville Predators

The Tuesday is not ideal this year, but hockey fans heading to Nashville is one of the hottest trends in the league as a road destination and even if you are not a country music fan the experience is a memorable one. The matchup is a good test too, and Subban always gears up for the Leafs. Do you drive or fly is the question? However you get there, it’s worth it. 

4) Sat Mar 16th @ Ottawa Senators

Never get tired of these games. The Battle of Ontario is always a gong show, as swarms trek down the 401 to invade the Canadian Tire Centre. This year may be especially sensitive for Sens fans, for obvious reasons. 

3) Mon Apr 1st @ New York Islanders

Seeing the Isles play on Long Island in the old Nassau Coliseum is kind of a hockey must at this point. It’s the final game there all year, and a homecoming for Tavares (they play in Brooklyn in February but this is where fans will feel it the most I’d imagine). 

2) Mon Mar 4th to Sat Mar 9th @ Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton

If you’ve never been out West in our great country, there is nothing more Canadian than flying into Calgary, and then making the drive out to Vancouver and back seeing the sights along the way. 3 hockey games in 6 days, this cross Canada road trip is an unforgettable experience. Plus you get to see the new Rexall arena and the best player in the game for your trouble. Laughing at Canucks fans may be an inherent bonus. 

1) Thurs Feb 14th @ Vegas

Despite the fact it’s on Valentine’s Day this year (better than NYE at least), hitting up Vegas never gets old and any reason to visit the city is a good one. The arena is rocking, the team is coming off a trip to the cup final, it’s just about the coolest place to visit in hockey right now. Not to be missed. 

Honorable Mentions; The Sunbelt trip in January with back to back FLA/TB is always a cheap and fun getaway to some warm weather in the winter, hitting a Devils game and then Atlantic City works nicely, can never go wrong visiting the cities of Boston or Chicago, the West Coast trioka is pretty cool (LA, SJ, ANA), and if you only care about the hockey experience and not much else then Minnesota or Winnipeg can be considered. Lastly, if you’ve never been to the mecca that is Madison Square Garden, that is always a solid option as well. 

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Still doesn’t feel real. Watching this makes the hairs on my arm stand at attention. Just wow, sheer goosebumps!

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Top 10 2018-19 Home Games To Circle On Your Calendar

10) Saturday February 2nd - vs Pittsburgh Penguins

A Hockey Night in Canada featuring Crosby, Malkin, and Phil is about as good as it gets entertainment value wise. You always need a Penguins game on your yearly schedule.

9) Friday November 9th - HHOF Game vs New Jersey Devils

I personally love Hall of Fame weekend, and it’s great to see the inductees on the ice to kick off the festivities. This is also your chance to see reigning hart trophy winner Taylor Hall. 

8) Saturday November 24th - vs Philadelphia Flyers

JVR comes back with the team who originally drafted him. I expect he should get a solid pop and be celebrated as one of the best goal scorers this team has had in the last two decades. Plus, things with Philly always tend to get a bit heated.

7) Saturday October 27th - vs Winnipeg Jets

The Matthews/Liane competition is always in full force when these two teams play, and it shows on the ice. While we dusted them in the opener in Winnipeg last season, almost every other match-up has been air tight and there is usually some great pace and a ton of goals.  

6) Wednesday February 27th - vs Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid coming into town is headline news every year as any chance to see the best player in the game is must see hockey.

5) Wednesday October 3rd - Home Opener vs Montreal Canadiens

It’s been a while since we’ve opened the season at home vs the our most hated rival, and while we should roll them and the game won’t mean all that much, it will be a great feeling to salute JT on home ice and have hockey back in our lives again.

4) Wednesday Jan 23rd - vs Washington Capitals

The last home game before the all star break against Ovie and the cup champs should be a can’t miss game. Still sore from our playoff series 2 years ago, and losing the Stadium Series game last year, this team has been one of our more prominent rivals the last couple years. 

3) Thurs April 4th - vs Tampa Bay Lightning

The final home game of the year may not matter by this point in the standings, but who knows this could actually be the game that decides the division if it’s neck and neck all year. Stamkos, Kucherov, Hedman (and maybe even Karlsson) is a team that is always worth the price of admission and should be a solid litmus test to possible 2nd round match-up in the playoffs.

2) Monday November 26th - vs Boston Bruins

The B’s walk into town for the first time since decimating us in the third period of game 7. You know the boys will be geared up for this one. Statement game. 

1) Saturday December 29th - vs New York Islanders

Tavares will face his old squad for the first time at home. Can’t see there being another home game with this much fanfare. Never mind adding former Leafs like Leo Komarov and Matt Martin into the mix. If I only attended one game all year, this one would be it. 

[onebeforeidie]

The order of this list is a bit off (especially number 1 to say the least), but some great memories worth reliving here.

[onebeforeidie]

Tavares Comes Home - A Review of the 2018-2019 Toronto Maple Leafs Roster

With prodigal son John Tavares signing to play for his childhood team, the Leafs now have arguably the deepest, fastest, and most skillful forward group in the league. It is an exciting time to say the least. 

Which of course means any self respecting Leaf fan has been scribbling various line combinations and roster machinations in heavy rotation for about the last ten days or so now. That said, 10 of the 12 forward spots are basically locked and loaded, and Babcock has already confirmed who will play with Johnny T, so there isn’t a ton of speculation to ponder over. 

The Guarantees: Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Marner, Kadri, Marleau, Kapanen, Johnsson, Hyman and Brown all should walk in to camp with a roster spot cemented.

That leaves 2 roles on the 4th line to be won in camp in September plus at least one more healthy scratch pressbox ticket.

The Candidates: Josh Leivo, Freddy the Goat, Carl Grundstrom, Par Lindholm, Tyler Ennis, Dmytro Timashov, Pierre Engvall, Trevor Moore, a to be signed free agent (Mark Letestu on a one year deal?) or a veteran invited training camp are the most likely options at this point.

Prediction: I haven’t seen enough of Lindholm to suggest he’s a shoe in to center that 4th line the way some people feel, and if pressed I’d prefer to see what Gauthier looks like early on in that role instead. I do think at least one more contender for this job will be brought in between now and then. The left wing role can rotate between Leivo and Ennis, unless Grundstrom really blows Babcock’s socks off.

No matter what happens with those roles, ice time will be extremely limited for those players and impact should be relatively minimal.

Where the next roster battle will be felt much more definitively is on the much maligned defensive core. It should be noted that’s not the concern of Kyle Dubas that it is to many fans, and he actually has reason to be more confident than you’d think. 

They are a young, skilled group who move the puck well, which is a great compliment for that forward crop. They are not experienced, need to improve their hockey IQ, and certainly become more defensively responsible in Babcock’s system, but they have a ton of depth in their pipeline and the group should steadily improve the next several years while remaining cost effective.

The Guarantees: Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott, Zaitsev, Hainsey

There is still a decent chance Gardiner is moved this summer, and Hainsey on the final year of his contract may not make it to Jan 1 if he looks as dusty and worn out as he did at the end of last season (rightfully so given the way he was an abused horse on the PK, but still). Regardless all 5 of those roles should be set in stone at the start of training camp.

That leaves essentially 2 spots open, the 6 and 7th d-man. It may make sense for Babcock to actually dress 7 depending on how this competition goes. The forward group would barely notice the difference and being able to spread out some of the tougher minutes would be a huge asset.

The Candidates: Connor Carrick, Justin Holl, Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen, Igor Ozhiganov.

Coming Soon: Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, Eemeli Rasanen

No: Martin Marincin

Predictions: Carrick has the inside track based on his contract. That said he had a rough year last and appeared to lose the confidence of his coach. It’s not unburyable if he doesn't rebound early. A lot would prefer Ozhiganov to make the team right out of the gate and you certainly can’t go wrong there if he impresses, but I would probably go with Borgman and Holl as my 6-7 right now. Chances are decent one of them may prove to be a useful contributor. 

Call me sentimental but Holl scoring the goal in his first game last year, his relationship with Dermott, and the way he has fit in with this young group makes him a logical choice for me to make the jump after contributing heavily to a Calder Cup championship.

Borgman is a sorely needed big body and he played well for stretches last season with the big club as well.

Rosen looked elite at times during the Marlies playoff run, but it likely makes the most sense for him to log heavy minutes there again alongside Liljegren.

In net, hopefully Freddy doesn’t get the October blues for the third year in a row, but even if he does it’s likely not to matter. He will start 65 games again and put up very respectable numbers when all is said and done, and all that will matter for him is the first round of the playoffs. Whichever of the back up goalies fetches the most on the market in the next two months between Big Mac and Sparks will be moved, while the other will stay and play 15-17 games. With Sparks unlikely to return to the Marlies with nothing else to prove, you need to give him the job or move him elsewhere, which is a great problem to have but also a shame considering how great CM has been for us since coming over. I maintain without him we don’t make the playoffs two years ago and that could change a lot for this groups development. Pickard is also still an option and in the mix on the off chance both are moved, or there is an injury.

I expect the 23 man roster to look something pretty close to the below when camp closes, with hopefully one more small trade on the way alongside one or two preseason surprises stories to come. 

I sincerely hope Johnsson gets a proper shot to play on that Matthews line, although you could swap him and Marleau and it would likely work well either way. 

Forwards

Johnsson / Matthews / Nylander

Hyman / Tavares / Marner

Marleau / Kadri / Kapanen

Ennis / Gauthier / Brown

Leivo

Defence

Rielly / Hainsey

Gardiner / Zaitsev

Dermott / Borgman

Carrick

Goaltending

Andersen

McElhinney / Sparks