When Mike Babcock was hired this past spring to lead the Leafs bench, one of the first things he said as he assessed the roster was “There will be pain.”
The Leafs were edged 2-1 by the Detroit Red Wings, Babcock’s former team, at Air Canada Centre as the roster takes shape for what is expected to be an arduous 82-game grind for Toronto.
Saturday’s final tune-up before the regular season was the last chance for several on-the-bubble players to make an impact prior to the trimming of the current 41-player roster down to its 23-man limit for opening night.