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TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

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TORONTO – The Maple Leafs cut 26 players from their training camp roster Sunday afternoon, including defencemen Andreas Borgman and Calle Rosen, but did not reveal who has won the team’s back-up goaltending job.

Both Borgman and Rosen were in contention for top-six spots on the Leafs’ back end, but neither made a big enough impression to unseat Travis Dermott from his third-pairing perch, and were re-assigned to the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies.

Borgman spent 25 games with the Marlies last season while Rosen skated in 62 contests, both could be returned to the AHL without waivers.

Also requiring waivers are any of Frederik Andersen’s potential back-ups this season. Curtis McElhinney, Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard all remain with the Leafs, and are likely to stick around until Toronto’s submits its final roster on Tuesday.

McElhinney and Sparks were considered front-runners for the post going into exhibition, but have been a mixed bag in preseason. McElhinney allowed only one goal in his first two outings early in exhibition, before ceding five goals to the Red Wings in Saturday night’s preseason finale.

Sparks was terrific in his first game and a half of action, but gave up eight goals over his final two showings. Pickard has seen the least action of the three in only two periods, with one goal allowed. Head coach Mike Babcock quipped on Saturday night the only clarity preseason had provided for him at the goalie position was that Andersen would be the Leafs’ starter on day one.

With Borgman and Rosen now in the AHL, Toronto has blue liners Justin Holl, Connor Carrick and Martin Marincin still in camp to compete for a job as extras, presumably because they all would need to clear waivers in order to reach the Marlies. Toronto projects to retain two of the three defenders past Tuesday’s deadline.

In terms of who that might be, Babcock hasn't tipped his hand in recent days, but potential to successfully clear waivers may play a part in the decision. Carrick is on a one-year, $1.3 million deal this season, the steepest cap hit of the three, which could help him to get through.

Holl’s deal is a two-year, $1.35 million pact, and Marincin is on a one-year, $800,000 contract.

Where things will get more interesting over time for the Leafs is up front. With William Nylander still not under contract, Toronto can carry a forward they may not have if Nylander was available.

As of Sunday’s cuts, Frederik Gauthier, who requires waivers, remains as the Leafs’ 13th forward. When Nylander returns, it will push a winger off of the top four lines and into an extra role as well, at which point the Leafs may return Andreas Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen to the Marlies because they don’t require waivers, until they settle on a more permanent choice.

Also being re-assigned to the Marlies on Sunday were forwards Jeremy Bracco, Adam Brooks, Emerson Clark, Rich Clune, Pierre Engvall, Colin Greening, Carl Grundstrom, Mason Marchment, Trevor Moore and Dmytro Timashov, plus defenceman Timothy Liljegren.

Toronto placed forwards Adam Cracknell, Josh Jooris and Chris Mueller on waivers, as well as defencemen Vincent LoVerde and Jordan Subban.