Just two games remain on the Toronto Maple Leafs preseason schedule – both coming against the Detroit Red Wings – as we prepare for the start of the 2023-24 regular season.
After dropping their latest game to the Montreal Canadiens in overtime after holding a 4-3 lead late in the third period, Toronto takes their 3-1-2 record and hopes to improve their play against another divisional rival in Detroit.
Maple Leafs’ lineup:
Similar to Monday’s lineup against Montreal, the Maple Leafs will be going with almost an identical lineup against Detroit with many NHL players in the lineup.
The @MapleLeafs roster for tonight’s preseason game versus Detroit at @ScotiabankArena. pic.twitter.com/4f12iPO7NI
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) October 5, 2023
After missing the first six preseason games due to injury, forward Calle Jarnkrok is back in the lineup tonight and will be on a line with youngsters Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten.
According to Mark Masters of TSN, these were the practice lines yesterday and will likely be the projected lines tonight against the Red Wings.
Based on yesterday’s practice, looks like Leafs will go with this tonight:
Bertuzzi – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Tavares – Nylander
Knies – Minten – Jarnkrok
Holmberg – Kampf – ReavesRielly – Brodie
McCabe – Benoit
Giordano – LiljegrenSamsonov
Woll https://t.co/YwWNGmlQJQ— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 5, 2023
Speaking of Minten, he is getting another look at training camp. Given the impression he has left on management and the coaching staff, it doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s unknown if he’ll make the Maple Leafs roster, but you never know because, at just 19 years of age, he has grown a lot as a player over the last year and has shown a mature side to his game.
It wouldn’t surprise me if he returns to Kamloops of the WHL for one more season and becomes a regular in the Maple Leafs lineup for the 2024-25 season, but what he has shown this year and the fact that he remains with the group with a week to go until the regular season is quite impressive.
Opponent’s lineup:
Unlike the Maple Leafs, the Red Wings lineup tonight is likely far from what their opening night lineup will look like when they play the New Jersey Devils next Thursday.
Headed to Toronto. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/aEMfIVXlXE
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 5, 2023
However, aside from a handful of players tonight who won’t be on the Red Wings when the regular season starts, some players will still be, including former Maple Leaf Justin Holl.
Holl, who signed a three-year deal with Detroit in free agency, will be playing in Toronto for the first since last season’s playoff loss to the Panthers.
Detroit will also have Ben Chiarot, Shayne Gostisbehere, Joe Veleno and Klim Kostin, among others in the lineup.
Players to watch:
With two preseason games left, we’ll see more NHL-type lineups for Toronto as they prepare for the start of the regular season next week.
With that being the case, I feel like there are a lot of players to keep an eye out for in tonight’s game. However, the Bertuzzi-Matthews-Marner line and the Knies-Minten-Jarnkrok line are two lines I’ll be watching.
You can catch the game tonight at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT on TSN4.
