Ron Wilson and staff will make the most significant cuts of training camp today, splitting the current 46-man roster into two teams. One group will stay while the other reports to Dallas Eakins and his group as Marlies camp opens tomorrow. With the news breaking last night that Matthew Lombardi has been cleared for full practice, it appears that it won't really matter who among Matt Frattin or Nazem Kadri has performed better in camp. Both should pass through cuts today, but ultimately will start with the Marlies if Lombardi is ready for October 6th.
On defense, there has been a lot of talk about the play of Jake Gardiner and his chances of making the team. I'd still peg those at extremely low, much like I would Mike Komisarek's chances of being demoted. Gardiner has shown a lot of talent, but he's still raw defensively, and needs time in the AHL. I don't see how he'd get enough minutes with the Leafs. And while the reports that Komisarek might not have a NMC are exciting, the Leafs are not desperate for cap space. At worst, they'll keep him as the 7th defenseman.
Links after the jump...
Kevin McGran updates on potential cuts following last night's loss
Rob Longley on Gardiner and other camp stories
Tough calls coming after Leafs loss
Lance Hornby adds a few more thoughts to the discussion
Late 1950s winger Gerry James: "Bo"
New VLM
