The Toronto Maple Leafs have finalized their roster and a couple of pleasant surprises popped up on the list. Young defenseman Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren both made the team out of camp. While it's still to be seen if they can survive the season, they'll definitely be given the opportunity with the question marks surrounding the third pairing. Both players are first round picks and are projected to be a big part of the Leafs' future. For Sandin who was the Leafs 2018 first round pick, it's a really special moment. «It's really cool. It's a dream come true,» Sandin said. «That's what all the hockey players are playing for. You want to take a spot in the NHL and it feels really good right now, obviously, but it's only the first step here too. There's a long way to go.» Sandin says he stayed close to Morgan Rielly during camp looking to him as a mentor as one of the reasons he made the team. «I think I just kept playing my game, even though some games I didn't play as much as maybe you want to or you're used to,» Sandin said. «I was positive all the time and had a pretty good camp. I talk to [Rielly] a lot off the ice and also on the ice. He's a guy who wants to help us younger guys on the team. He's just a great guy and a great hockey player, so he's a good guy to look up to for sure.» Head coach Mike Babcock said that it was an easy choice after Sandin's camp. He played good over a time and not just last year, but through the year and then in exhibition,» Babcock said. «The more situations we put him in, the more he just played well.»
