The Toronto Maple Leafs went out of their way to remake their defense corps this summer, and as a result, there’s more competition than ever to land one of the Buds’ top-six spots on ‘D’. And because of that increased competition, veteran D-man Timothy Liljegren may soon find himself the odd man out on Toronto’s back end, and a prime candidate to be traded.
As per THN Lineups, Liljegren currently slots in as the Leafs’ third-pair defenseman alongside partner Simon Benoit. But that’s hardly an intimidating duo, and Leafs GM Brad Treliving knows it. This is why Treliving took a chance on former Dallas blueliner Jani Hakanpaa in free agency this summer. Like Liljegren, Benoit is a right-shot D-man, and he’s earning $1.35 million this year – $1.65 million less than Liljegren will take home this year. At a time when every dollar counts under a tight salary cap situation for Toronto, Hakanpaa is a cheaper solution than Liljegren, and he’s also more of a physical player than Liljegren. Consequently, Leafs coach Craig Berube will probably prioritize Hakanpaa over Liljegren when Hakanpaa is healthy, and having a $3-million per-season defenseman in the press box won’t be ideal for the Leafs.
For that reason, we suspect Liljegren will be traded sometime soon – if not before the regular season begins, then by or before the NHL’s trade deadline next year. It may not be fair, and the Leafs would be taking a chance that Liljegren can be a late-bloomer and thrive on another team. However, Toronto now has so many options on ‘D’ – including AHLer Marshall Rifai, who has impressed at camp – they can afford to move on from someone like Liljegren, who hasn’t lived up to expectations since he was drafted 17th overall in 2017.
Injuries to the defense corps may save Liljegren’s bacon in Toronto, but when the entire defense corps is healthy, Liljegren seems like a spare part at best. At worst, he’s going to be sitting on the sidelines and hoping for a trade. So Treliving will probably send him packing in one way or another, as the prospect of a long-term contract extension for Liljegren seems highly unlikely when he becomes a UFA two summers from now.
All of this isn’t to suggest Liljegren isn’t an NHL-level player. At 25 years old, the Swede is still approaching his prime, and a fresh start in another market could be just what he needs to take the next competitive step and evolve into a second-pair D-man. But with every day that passes. Toronto doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the place where he does that.
The Leafs are set in their top four (Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson) for the foreseeable future, and it makes more financial sense for them to fill their sixth spot on ‘D’ with someone from a group of bargain youngsters including Rifai, AHLer Topi Niemela, trade acquisition Cade Webber and 2024 first-round draft pick Ben Danford. So you can see why Liljegren isn’t a good long-term fit for the Buds. He simply hasn’t evolved into a difference-maker, and while he may thrive on another team, he’s basically out of chances to do so in Toronto.
The league is filled with stories of unfulfilled potential like Liljegren’s, and that’s why he’s expected to be moved by Treliving this season. The stakes are sky-high for all Maple Leafs players this year, and a change of employer may be exactly what the doctor ordered to bump Liljegren into a second-pair role with another franchise. So Liljegren’s time with the Leafs could prove to be limited, and there will be no shortage of teams willing to take a chance on him when Toronto decides to bid him goodbye.
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News Summary:
- Toronto D-Man Liljegren Running Out Of Time To Prove He Deserves To Stay With Maple Leafs
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