Timothy Liljegren was a healthy scratch for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first three games of this season. That’s made the 25-year-old defenseman the subject of trade speculation in hockey-mad Toronto.
Liljegren signed a two-year contract in June worth an average annual value of $3 million. He was expected to fill the right-side role on their second defense pairing but slid down their depth chart during training camp and out of the starting lineup when the regular season began.
Last week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Leafs were calling around to find a landing spot for Liljegren. On Saturday, he claimed he’d heard they gave the blueliner permission to speak with other teams about a trade but said the club denied it, saying it wasn’t true.
Friedman thinks the Leafs intend to be patient with this situation. He also believes Liljegren wants to get into the lineup.
"If something happens, it happens"
All signs point to Timothy Liljegren making his #Leafs season debut following training camp riddled with uncertainty. ⤵️https://t.co/L8VC58klTkhttps://t.co/L8VC58klTk— David Alter (@dalter) October 14, 2024
The Leafs’ salary cap constraints are also an issue. Friedman’s colleague Luke Fox pointed out they have Calle Jarnkrok, Connor Dewar and Jani Hakanpaa on LTIR but must create cap space for their eventual return unless another Leaf becomes sidelined.
Liljegren is expected to be in the lineup when the Leafs face the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, but he doesn’t appear to fit into their long-term plans. He could draw interest from other clubs as injuries mount.
Fox acknowledged the Leafs could be shopping Liljegren but considers it difficult to move a third-pairing defenseman who carries a second-pairing salary. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel pointed out that keeping Liljegren in the press box hurts his trade value.
Adam Proteau took note of Liljegren’s situation. He suggested the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers as potential trade destinations. They could all use more right-side blueline depth. The Ducks, Sharks and Blues also have the cap space to take on his full contract.
Another destination could be the struggling Edmonton Oilers. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell noted they were linked to free-agent rearguards Kevin Shattenkirk and Mark Giordano. However, he pointed out Liljegren would be more costly to acquire in terms of salary, plus the Leafs would want draft picks in return.
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