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Predicting the Leafs' 2017-18 Opening Night Lineup

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(Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports) As t he Toronto Maple Leafs march through the dog days of the NHL offseason, one thing they don’t have to worry too much about is their roster. A majority of their key players remain under contract for the upcoming season, the young guns appear ready to take the next step in their development, and the team is eager to build on the success of last season. While the players who will d on the Blue and White  has been determined, figuring out where each of them will play come opening night  is not fully set in stone . The new additions and the key young stars will all play a factor in  what the line combinations will eventually look like . Here's my best guess as to what the Leafs lineup will look like when they open their season against the Winnipeg Jets. Forwards Marleau-Matthews-Nylander JVR-Bozak-Marner Komarov-Kadri-Brown* Hyman/Martin-Moore-Kapanen * = Assuming Connor Brown re-signs in time for opening night (

Leafs Draft Watch Profile: Nick Suzuki

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This is the fifth in a series of posts where we will take a look at five players the Toronto Maple Leafs could potentially pick at the upcoming 2017 NHL draft this week.  I n the previous post, we looked at  Juuso Valimaki , a defenseman playing for Tri-City Americans, as a possible player for the Toronto Maple Leafs to pick on  June 23rd . For the final article in this series, we will shift gears and focus on a player that has quietly put together a strong season in his draft year and has the potential to be one of the sleeper picks of the draft. Nick Suzuki, a center for the Owen Sound Attack, is the player in question, and should be of interest for the Leafs should he be available at the 17th spot in the draft. Bio Age: 17 Height: 5 foot 11 inches Weight: 183 Pounds Hometown: London, ON Position: Center Shooting: Right Stats   SEASON TEAM LEAGUE GP G A TP PIM +/-       POST GP G A TP PIM +/-   2014-15  London Jr. Knig

Leafs Draft Watch Profile: Juuso Valimaki

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This is the fourth in a series of posts where we will take a look at five players the Toronto Maple Leafs could potentially pick at the upcoming 2017 NHL draft this week.  In the last post, we looked at  Erik Brannstrom , a defenseman playing for HV71, as a possible player for the Toronto Maple Leafs to pick on June 23rd. Over the past few years, there is always that one player on draft day that doesn't get selected where many scouts predicted he would end up. Seth Jones and Jakob Chychrun are two recent examples and Juuso Valimaki, defenseman of the Tri-City Americans, might be the next player added to the list. If he is available when the Leafs pick at 17th, they should not hesitate to draft him. Bio Age: 18 Height: 6 foot 2 inches Weight: 201 Pounds Hometown: Nokia, FIN Position: Defense Shooting: Left Stats   SEASON TEAM LEAGUE GP G A TP PIM +/-       POST GP G A TP PIM +/-   2012-13  Ilves U16  Jr. C SM-sarja Q 8 3 3 6 2