NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is reporting that speculation surrounding Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren may no longer be simple speculation. He writes, in his latest 32 Thoughts column, “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.”
There have been rumors over the past week that Liljegren might be the odd man out in Toronto where he’s fallen out of favor with his coach. Meanwhile, his general manager would like to create some cap flexibility and Liljegren’s $3 million cap hit over the next two seasons is going to be a bit of an albatross if the Leafs have no use for him.
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube has criticized Liljegren’s play, urging him to be stronger on pucks and quicker with decisions. With Liljegren sitting out the preseason finale, Friedman seems to be suggesting that GM Brad Treliving has seen the writing on the wall and it’s time to move Liljegren on. It also sounds like Liljegren isn’t happy with how things have gone and might be ready to move on.
Luke Fox said he wasn’t sure if Liljegren ever won the favor of Treliving. If true, and if Berube doesn’t see the defenseman as a useful piece of the team’s future either, everyone is likely ready to move on.
What Will the Maple Leafs Do With Liljegren?
What’s interesting to some fans is how Liljegren seems to have lost out to Conor Timmins. The latter is a polarizing player among Leafs Nation and he got into penalty trouble at the end of the preseason. He continues to struggle, already taking a penalty in the first game of the season.
Unfortunately, Liljegren’s lack of NHL experience means he couldn’t afford a poor training camp either, which he had. And, because of his salary, being able to move on from the financial commitment has benefits for Toronto.
Now, he’ll start the season in the press box. How long it will take to find him a new home isn’t known.
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