• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Prospects

3 Defense Prospects Leafs Could Target

By Anthony Fusco November 10th, 2016

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in their second year of a rebuild. The idea is to build through the draft and develop a bevy of prospects that are able to transition into full-time NHL players.

The Leafs have already seen some early success in that regard, as young guns like William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have all made successful transitions to the big club.

There is also the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs’ AHL affiliate. They have been fantastic the last few years and are showing no signs of slowing down as they develop the future of the franchise.

The Leafs have done such a good job drafting the last couple of years, especially in the first round. Those last three picks have become the talented trio of forwards that currently grace the ice of the Air Canada Centre. Now, the Maple Leafs need to focus on picking a young defenseman in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Timothy Liljegren

Liljegren, who currently plays for Swedish club Rögle BK, is arguably the best defenseman available in this year’s draft. Many scouts have him ranked second overall, right behind Brandon Wheat Kings forward Nolan Patrick. The Swede has many strengths including his skating, vision and hockey sense. He has outstanding mobility and can easily quarterback a power-play.

He’s great in both the offensive and defensive zones. He’s able to thread the needle to begin a breakout or accurately shoot to set up a scoring chance for a teammate. Liljegren sat out the early portion of the season with mono, something that may hurt his draft stock in June.

The key will be seeing how he responds. In a perfect world, he slowly builds up his stamina and has a good showing at the World Juniors as well as the second half of the season. He’s simply too much of a talent to not be drafted high in the first round.

Callan Foote

Many fans will remember hard-hitting defenseman Adam Foote. He played 19 seasons in the NHL between the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets and won two Stanley Cups during his career.

Adam’s son Cal has some of the same attributes that his father had during his playing days. He’s an intelligent, defense-first type of player who uses body positioning and a very active stick to break up plays. Early on in his career, he played a very physical game. In his time with the Kelowna Rockets however, he has also emerged as more of an offensive threat.

Both @Kelowna_Rockets made positive impressions tonight. Cal Foote was very solid defensively and made some nice stretch passes. #WHL

— Larry Fisher (@LarryFisher_KDC) November 9, 2016

The Rockets defender is currently listed at 6 foot 3 and a half inches, and a solid 198 pounds. He will add size and muscle to his frame as he matures. He currently has 12 assists in 19 games and is on track to have a career year for Kelowna of the WHL.

Nick Hague

The third defenseman the Maple Leafs could key in on is a short distance away playing for the Mississauga Steelheads. Nick Hague already has NHL size and stands at an imposing 6 foot 6 inches and 207 pounds.

He’s a smooth skater who is able to use his body positioning in either the offensive or defensive zone. He also has a smart stick and uses it to eliminate his opponent’s passing lane. He also has a long reach and a booming shot which makes him a constant threat on the attack.

He is able to play with a nasty streak, especially when battling along the boards. He’s a tough customer who has shown flashes of improvement. He had 24 points all of last year, whereas this season he’s already up to 15 in a mere 16 games. Most nights he is considered one of the best players on the ice for the Steelheads.

With the Maple Leafs’ need for defensive depth, one of these three players would be a huge addition to the blueline in the future. Acquiring Liljegren would require a bottom five finish, but Foote or Hague could be available in the top fifteen.

Good defense is essential is building a contender and the Leafs will have to continue to draft and develop smartly if they hope to take the next step.

  • Tags
  • Cal Foote
  • Nicolas Hague
  • Timothy Liljegren
  • Top Story
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 24th 3:25 PM
Montreal Canadiens

3 Takeaways From Canadiens’ 5-2 Win Over Canucks

Jan 24th 3:15 PM
Montreal Canadiens

Prospects News & Rumors: Michigan, Gushchin & Gordin

Jan 24th 3:05 PM
New York Rangers

Rangers News & Rumors: Chytil, Dubois Traded, Lafreniere & More

Jan 24th 2:55 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Getting the Best of Curtis Lazar

Jan 24th 2:05 PM
New Jersey Devils

Devils Are in Good Hands With Jack Hughes

Jan 24th 1:35 PM
San Jose Sharks

Sharks Seeing Offense From Erik Karlsson But Defense Is Lacking

Jan 24th 1:10 PM
Women's Hockey

NWHL Goalies Steal the Show on Day 1 of 2021 Season

Jan 24th 12:35 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Jets, Dubois, More

Jan 24th 11:15 AM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Frederik Andersen: Slowly But Surely Finding His Game

Jan 24th 11:00 AM
Archives

Canucks Have an Eye for the Swedes

Editor’s Picks
2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini's Top 75 Rankings

Wayne Gretzky Almost Joined the Detroit Red Wings

Wayne Gretzky Almost Joined the Detroit Red Wings

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information