The Toronto Maple Leafs took the first steps toward improving their flawed blue line Tuesday, signing Swedish defensemen Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman to two-year, entry-level contracts.
The acquisitions are likely just the beginning of general manager Lou Lamoriello's offseason plans. Here are three things to know about the newest Maple Leafs.
1. The profiles
Here's how both defensemen stack up:
| Player | Age | Height | Weight (lbs) | Shoots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosen | 23 | 6-0 | 185 | Left |
| Borgman | 21 | 6-0 | 210 | Left |
Rosen participated in 41 games for Vaxjo of the Swedish Hockey League last season, recording six goals and 19 points. The undrafted rearguard was reportedly linked to the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks for weeks before putting pen to paper with Toronto, according to The Athletic's David Alter and Scott Powers.
Borgman, who also went undrafted, participated in his first SHL season in 2016-17, notching five goals and 10 assists with HV71 Jonkoping. The 21-year-old earned Rookie of the Year honors for his impressive debut season, joining previous winning defensemen including Mattias Ekholm, Victor Hedman, Toby Enstrom, and former Leafs first-round pick Kenny Jonsson.
2. They'll get opportunities
While both players need to prove their worth to earn an NHL roster spot come October, the Leafs didn't bring them overseas for nothing.
"They'll get every opportunity, they have the ability," Lamoriello said, according to Kevin McGran of The Toronto Star. "Whether it's right away, or whether it's in a month, we'll have to wait and see. No pressure on anyone. We're delighted they've chosen us, they were highly recruited."
The Leafs brought in Nikita Zaitsev from the KHL immediately into their top four last season, and though he's older and came from a stronger league, Toronto's brass is likely hoping Rosen and/or Borgman follows a similar development curve.
3. Much-needed depth
Toronto's still in the market to acquire blue-line help via free agency or trade this offseason, but adding two young defensemen addresses the Leafs' biggest roster problem.
Toronto's top three of Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, and Zaitsev is set in stone, but the subsequent spots are surely up for grabs. Roman Polak suffered a brutal leg injury in the playoffs and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency, as is Matt Hunwick, who rounded out the Leafs' top six last season.
Connor Carrick is likely to stick around, while one of Alexey Marchenko or Martin Marincin - who each have one year remaining on their current contracts - could very well be exposed for Vegas.
Whether Rosen and Borgman are with the Maple Leafs or the Marlies, Toronto's gained two promising pieces for its program.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.