As the dust settles on the Timothy Liljegren trade, members of the Toronto Maple Leafs reflect on the defenceman’s tenure with the team and how it ended on Wednesday night.
Alternate captain Morgan Rielly was asked by the media before Thursday’s morning skate about the deal and how he is processing the news. He wished Liljegren well as he embarks on the next chapter of his career with the San Jose Sharks.
“I just talked to Timmy,” he said. “It didn’t work out exactly the way that he wanted it to this year, I suppose, but you wish him the best. He’s a good player. He has a good work ethic. I think he’ll find his way.”
Being mired in trade rumours since the beginning of the offseason (even after getting a two-year extension), Liljegren’s place on the team became a focal point when he got jumped on the depth chart by the likes of Conor Timmins and Phillippe Myers during training camp. He did not make a strong impression on Craig Berube at practices and did not stand out enough in the one game he did appear in.
“I think looking back at training camp, I think guys just outplayed him a little bit,” Berube said on why things did not pan out for Liljegren this season. “He’s got ability, he can skate, move the puck. I wish him all the best. It just didn’t work out here.”
The impending return of Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar meant that the Leafs needed to shed some salary and Liljegren’s $3 million cap hit made him a prime target to be moved. He knew the writing was on the wall for his tenure in Toronto based on his comments to the media this month.
While there isn’t one particular moment that immediately comes to mind, Rielly will remember all of the good times he and his teammates had with Liljegren over the years.
“I think this kind of thing happens all the time,” Rielly said on how Liljegren may be approaching this move. “Just because a player gets traded, that doesn’t mean he’s any less of a player than he was the year before. Moving forward, it’s just a new opportunity and a change of scenery. It’s not a judgment on who Timmy is or anything like that. He’s gonna be a good player moving forward, he’s gonna work hard to find his way.”
Now that the saga has come to a close, Liljegren will get a chance to revitalize his career with the Sharks while the Leafs bring in Matt Benning who they have reportedly had their eyes on for quite some time. It marks an unceremonious end to a tenure that began with so much promise after he was drafted 17th overall in 2017.
While there were flashes of the potential he possessed to become a top-four defenceman, it never materialized for Liljegren under two different coaches and two different general managers. It is certainly possible for him to turn things around but it will now have to be outside of Toronto.
“I was sad, but that’s the business,” William Nylander said when asked about the trade. “It’ll be really good for his career. Happy for him.”
