5 most probable Toronto Maple Leafs roster cuts to form 23-man regular season roster 

It's nearly time to drop the puck in another season of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey, but management has some business to attend to, led by general manager Brad Treliving.

The Leafs, like all other 31 NHL clubs, must be down to the 23-man mandated roster by Monday afternoon. At the time of this article, Toronto's official website shows 28 names on their roster, meaning five names will have to be waived.

But who are the five names most likely to be informed by Treliving that they're on their way to the minors?

#5. Defenseman Marshall Rifai

Signed by the Maple Leafs as an undrafted free agent, Rifai played 57 games for the American Hockey League affiliate Toronto Marlies last season.

#4. Defenseman Phillipe Myers

Originally signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as an undrafted free agent in 2015, Myers has 158 games of NHL experience under his belt. He played last season within the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, appearing in 61 games for the American Hockey League affiliate Syracuse Crunch.

He racked up four goals and 19 assists during his time with the Crunch.

#3. Defenseman Dakota Mermis

The 30-year-old defenseman has 74 games of NHL experience on his resume, having played for the Arizona Coyotes, New Jersey Devils, and Minnesota Wild.

He agreed to a one-year, $775K deal with the Leafs during the offseason, but is likely to spend the majority of the year in the AHL.

#2. Forward Easton Cowan

While he won't be waived, Cowan is currently ineligible to be moved to the American Hockey League. In all likelihood, he'll be back with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights.

Cowan knows it's a possibility, and indicated that he's open to whatever the team decides is best for his development as a player.

"It's all about what they think is right for development," Cowan said. "If they send me back, they sent me back. If I stay up, that's obviously been my goal since I started playing hockey - to make the NHL. But if they don't think I'm ready, then I'm not gonna dwell on it. Go back to junior and have fun there."

#1. Forward Fraser Minten

A 20-year-old native of Vancouver, Minten was taken by the Leafs with the 38th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.

He's played the majority of his career with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL and has also appeared in four regular-season games with the Leafs.

His top statistical output with Kamloops took place in 2022-23, registering 31 goals and 36 assists in 57 games played.