The Toronto Maple Leafs are not even a week into the 2024-25 season, and defenseman Timothy Liljegren has quickly become the first trade candidate, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. A move involving Liljegren is a potential trade that GM Brad Treliving needs to be very open minded about.
Friedman dropped a spicy note during the Maple Leafs’ season opener via 32 Thoughts, reporting the Maple Leafs are looking to find Liljegren a new home. The mobile defenceman was made a healthy scratch to start the year, thanks to Conor Timmins taking his spot as the team’s sixth blueliner.
“Sounds like Toronto is working to find a landing spot for Timothy Liljegren, he’s down the depth chart, not a situation anyone is happy with,” stated Friedman.
Liljegren, 25, is a former 2017 first-round pick, who signed a two-year, $6-million extension in June, and only a few months later, finds himself on the trade block. It’s an unusual scenario to sat the least but it won’t be easy to facilitate a Liljegren deal, based on the money involved.
Cap space is a premium around the league and the list of suitors won’t be as long-winded as Treliving likely hopes. I’ve mentioned a few different teams recently, who could be potential trade destinations, including the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and St Louis Blues. All three teams have cap space to work with to start the season and have some concerns about depth on defense. The Blues are an interesting suitor, based on head coach Craig Berube having an inside track on several of their current players, from his time coaching in St Louis.
Treliving should consider all avenues during trade talks
With Liljegren having an underwhelming training camp, his trade value isn’t sky high. Regardless of his status as a former first-round pick, the fact he’s still just 25 years old, and a right-handed shot, don’t expect to see a top two-round draft pick or high-end prospect coming back the other way.
Treliving should be open to a ‘salary dump’ type of trade, which could give the Maple Leafs some serious financial flexibility to add an impact player ahead of the trade deadline in March. There’s also the fact, Toronto isn’t loaded with defensive prospects, so perhaps they settle on a mid-round pick, and a ‘B-type’ prospect with some potential in the trade. If they aren’t, they should be, or else Liljegren’s name could float on the rumor mill for weeks, until a team gets hit with the injury bug and a need to add a d-man surfaces.
The Los Angeles Kings lost Drew Doughty for a couple of months due to an ankle injury, but have top prospect Brandt Clarke ready to step in. Perhaps the Kings wouldn’t be interested. The Edmonton Oilers make some level of sense, based on their depth chart, but they appear set to give Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher a look on their right side. At least, for now.
With Matt Murray and Dennis Hildeby waiting in the wings, even with Joseph Woll hurt to start the season, I wouldn’t expect Treliving to target a goaltender in the trade. With Pontus Holmberg, David Kampf, and with Connor Dewar and Fraser Minten getting healthy, it doesn’t feel like a depth centre will be the play either. Add in that William Nylander, Max Domi, Steven Lorentz and eventually Calle Jarnkrok, once healthy, can all play centre, it’s tough to display many holes in this Leafs’ lineup up front.
Treliving’s best bet could be to land a depth defenceman with experience in the deal, who makes less than Liljegren, and at least provides the Maple Leafs with a little bit of much-needed cap space. Would the Nashville Predators dare to move Luke Schenn back to Toronto? It seems highly unlikely, but certainly the type of playing style the Leafs’ could benefit from. One team to keep an eye on, the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have many holes on their blueline and Kyle Dubas is very familiar with Liljegren’s game and his tendencies. Pittsburgh could be a great place for the Swedish blueliner to hit the rest button on his career.
Regardless of the where, or the who, it certainly sounds like it’s a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ Liljegren gets traded. A bit of a fall from grace for the defenseman, who going into this season, was one of the few x-factors for this Maple Leafs’ lineup. Just one week into the season, he’s quickly become the odd man out.
