Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving has reportedly been working the phones, trying to find a trade partner to move defenceman Timothy Liljegren. After a couple of massive injuries to their blue line, Utah HC is emerging as a potential trade partner. It’s time for Treliving to work some magic and strike a deal with the NHL’s newest franchise.
Utah recently lost defencemen Sean Durzi and John Marino for multiple months, after Durzi underwent shoulder surgery and Marino underwent a procedure on his lower back.
Sean Durzi will be out for 4-6 months following shoulder surgery and John Marino will be out for 3-4 months following lower back surgery. pic.twitter.com/xOFXzkTmTA
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 23, 2024
Utah has been making trade calls, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, so we know the interest is there to add to the back end. On the flip side, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported recently that the Maple Leafs would prefer to move Liljegren, but are preaching patience throughout the process.
“Toronto is preaching patience with this. They are simply saying there is no reason he can’t still play for us,” Friedman said Oct.12 via Hockey Night in Canada. “However, he’s a 25-year-old player, he wants to play. I think he’d like to be in a position where he can play.”
Liljegren has hardly played this season, appearing in just one game through the Leafs’ first eight. He’s been leap-frogged by Conor Timmins, and so far Timmins has looked good to start the season, playing a simple, direct game, which head coach Craig Berube loves. Liljegren, on the other hand, hasn’t shown his best stuff to his new bench boss. Berube spoke to TSN’s Mark Masters Oct.16 and made it very clear what he expects out from the former first-round pick.
“He should be a good puck mover. It’s just about him managing his game & managing his puck movement & making good decisions with it,” stated Berube. “Not risky ones. Just simplify & then you’ve got to win your battles.” What Liljegren ‘should’ be, is involved in trade talks to Utah.
Many variables work in favour of a trade
One of the hardest things about early-season trades, and any trade for that matter, is the money involved. Liljegren signed a two-year, $6-million extension in the summer, but the good news is Utah has the cap space. They currently sit with $8.2 million in cap space according to PuckPedia, lots of room to add in Liljegren’s cap hit, and with Durzi and Marino shelved for a few months, there’s lots of time to work things out once they’re ready to return.
For Treliving, it’s a much different story. The Maple Leafs are in a cap crunch, they have multiple players coming back from injury in the near future, including the likes of Connor Dewar, Jani Hakanpaa and Calle Jarnkrok, not to mention youngster Fraser Minten, who has recently joined practice and could be ready for game action soon, at either the AHL or NHL level. Something has to give in this hard salary cap world, the money isn’t adding up.
Utah has trade assets to construct this deal, as they are loaded with draft picks, and have some mid-level prospects who could interest Treliving and the Leafs’ brass. It’s worth pointing out that Utah owns two 2025 third-round picks and three 2026 second-round picks. Would a 2025 third-rounder be enough to tickle Treliving’s fancy? Would Armstrong be looking for a sweetener from Toronto? The only reason this might be considered is because the Swedish blueliner has been watching most of this season’s action from the press box with that $3 million cap hit, which doesn’t help anyone’s trade value. Armstrong can see the Maple Leafs have financial constraints, they are clear as day, so it would be in his best interest to drive a hard bargain.
Even if the Maple Leafs have to add a sweetener, they should be considering trading Liljegren to Utah, or to any other team for that matter. Moving his $3 million off the cap this season and next will do wonders for their financial flexibility, and being able to activate their currently injured players. Timmins has shown enough to warrant some more ice time, but the Leafs have yet to play Philippe Myers, who continues to practice and be an extra. He’s 6-foot-5 and plays a more physical, simple game than the 6-foot-1 Liljegren. Yes, Liljegren has way more upside, but at this point, Berube doesn’t care about upside. He’s looking for results.
At this point, it should be ‘when’ and not ‘if’ the Maple Leafs trade Liljegren. It’s become clear as day Berube isn’t a huge fan of his game, and with the Leafs having other blueline options and a need to move out some money, Treliving needs to get creative and strike a deal.
Utah makes a ton of sense as a potential destination, but until Treliving’s able to convince Armstrong that’s the case, Liljegren will continue to wait patiently for some news.
