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When the Maple Leafs opened their IKEA store of Swedish blueline products in 2017, Andreas Borgman was the first on display.

Beating out free agent countryman Calle Rosen for a spot with the 2017-18 Leafs, Borgman played 48 games, but wasn’t around at season’s end. This year, Rosen generated the headlines. First-round picks Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin have been farm-team stars and now Jesper Lindgren has returned from Europe. Young Canadian Mac Hollowell also did well at the end of the team’s most recent playoff run.

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But Borgman had a solid post-season showing and also played a veteran’s role. At six-feet, 200 pounds, and possessing the knack to hit hard, he could still be in the mix again at Leafs training camp. The Leafs are expected to lose Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey to free agency and Borgman is on the last year of his $700,000 US, waivers-exempt ticket.

“It’s going to be a huge opportunity to me.” Borgman said on Marlies locker cleanout day. “It was a really good year for me as it went on. I can still work on other things, but I’ll never lose that (physicality) from my game. It’s always fun to play in the long seasons we’ve had (seven total playoff series since last year). Not everyone gets that chance, so you have to take advantage.”

lhornby@postmedia.com