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Toronto Maple Leafs sign Swedish defencemen Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman

By Chris Okrainetz

Apr 23, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Air Canada Centre is seen before the start of a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals in game six of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Air Canada Centre is seen before the start of a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals in game six of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs signed a pair of Swedish defencemen on Tuesday, inking Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman to two-year entry-level contracts.

After weeks of speculation connecting the Toronto Maple Leafs to defencemen in Sweden, the team made it official on Tuesday and announced the signings of Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman.

Rosen has been linked to the Leafs for weeks now and his signing isn’t much of a surprise. Borgman, however, is a surprise. HV71, which is Brogman’s team in Sweden, announced Tuesday morning that the 21-year-old defenceman would be taking his talents overseas to the NHL, but they did not say to which team. Less than 12 hours later we learned the talented defenceman would be signing with the Leafs.

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Borgman is a great addition to the Leafs’ organization and he is an intriguing player who appears to have a ton of potential. Standing a 6-feet, 205 pounds, Borgman registered five goals and 10 assists in 45 regular season games for HV this season. The playoffs are where the left-handed Swede really did his damage, though. In 14 games he compiled two goals and eight assists and helped lead his team to an SHL championship. Borgman was also named the SHL’s rookie of the year.

From the Leafs’ perspective, both Borgman and Rosen are left-handed shot defencemen who move the puck well and fit the profile of what teams are looking for in a modern day NHL defencemen. The reason some people are more excited about Borgman than Rosen is age. Borgman is 21, Rosen is 23.

Both players played well for their respective teams in Sweden, but based on the way defencemen tend to develop, which is a subjective topic in itself, the younger Borgman likely has more time left to develop his game. Again, this isn’t to say Rosen can’t develop into a useful player because he’s older (just look at how Nikita Zaitsev played as a 25-year-old rookie this past season), but it’s understandable why some are more excited about Borgman as a prospect.

The Leafs are yet to announce the financial terms of each deal, but considering they both signed entry-level contracts, I’d guess each player will make under $1 million and have a ton of bonuses within their contracts.

As for where Rosen and Borgman will start next season. I think the Toronto Marlies are the most likely destination for them, but a strong training camp could easily change that. However, the competition along the Leafs’ blue line should be fierce with Travis Dermott and potential offseason signings all vying for ice time, too.

Next: Darren Raddysh worth a look for the Leafs

What do you think about the Toronto Maple Leafs signing Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman? Do you think either player can crack the Leafs’ roster next fall? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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