In a move that hardly surprised anyone, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from the once-promising defenseman Timothy Liljegren.
The Maple Leafs announced on Wednesday that Liljegren is heading to San Jose Sharks in exchange for a third-round draft pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, a sixth-rounder in 2026, and defenseman Matt Benning.
Liljegren was on the trade block in the summer but ended up staying in Toronto and signing a two-year, $6 million deal. However, the new head coach, Craig Berube, wasn’t a fan of Liljegren from the very start, which caused the 25-year-old Swede to be a healthy scratch in all but one game this season.
The rebuilding Sharks are taking a low-risk gamble on Liljegren, hoping that more time on the ice will help him get closer to realizing his potential. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, get some assets they could use further down the road for a player they will actually count on.
The Maple Leafs selected Timothy Liljegren with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Liljegren spent two seasons with their AHL affiliate, Toronto Marlies, where he was part of the team that won the Calder Cup in 2017-18 while also being the youngest defenseman in the league.
Liljegren’s NHL debut came in 2020, and he would go on to become a regular feature in the Maple Leafs’ lineup in the 2021-22 campaign. Overall, he played in 197 games, scoring 14 goals and dishing 51 assists for a total of 65 points.
