TORONTO – In the battle between two Swedish rookie defencemen striving to make the Maple Leafs’ roster, Andreas Borgman has emerged victorious.

The 22-year-old blueliner will round out the Leafs’ 23-man roster ahead of Wednesday’s opener against the Winnipeg Jets, while Calle Rosen has been assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Defenceman Timothy Liljegren, the team’s first-round draft pick in June, will also spend the season with the Marlies after the club decided not to return him to Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League.

Toronto had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to submit their final roster to the NHL office.

Borgman is projected to skate alongside Connor Carrick on Toronto’s third pairing, while Martin Marincin will remain as the team’s seventh defenceman.

Signed as free agents in June, both Borgman and Rosen had solid preseasons, but Borgman’s physicality ultimately trumped Rosen’s speed and skating. Before the decision on Borgman or Rosen was officially revealed on Tuesday, head coach Mike Babcock spoke of how, in the battle of big (Borgman is 6-foot, 212 pounds) versus little on the ice, big almost always wins out.

“When you run into him, people fall over,” Babcock said of Borgman. “His edges are elite as well, so he can make that good breakout pass. Now, does he have a lot to learn? Absolutely. But we like a lot of things about him.”

Borgman was the Swedish Hockey League’s rookie of the year last season after posting five goals and 10 assists in 45 games with HV71 Jonkoping.

The Leafs also announced Tuesday that defenceman Roman Polak has been released from his professional tryout contract, but will continue to practice with the team as he works his way back from a fibula break in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last April.