We are less than a month into the 2024-25 NHL season, and the Toronto Maple Leafs already have trade rumours swirling around them. This time it’s about right-handed defensemen Timothy Liljegren, who has slowly fallen out of favour under new head coach Craig Berube.
This past offseason, Liljegren signed a two-year, $3 million deal extension. However, when free agency opened, the Maple Leafs worked hard to improve their blue line by signing Oliver Ekman Larsson, Jani Hakanpaa, and Chris Tanev. Which made it clear from the start of the offseason that there was going to be internal competition throughout training camp and into the regular season.
In the latest 32 Thoughts blog by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, he reported that the Maple Leafs are actively searching for a trade for Liljegren.
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.
If that is the case, then it’s time to determine what teams could be potential trade destinations for Liljegren.
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a team that has playoff potential but is missing a huge piece on their blue line. Drew Doughty was injured in his first and only preseason appearance for the club, and he suffered an ankle injury. After he underwent successful surgery to repair the damage, the team announced that he is out month-to-month, which will leave a substantial whole on the blue line until the new year.
The Kings should be a team that is a top suitor for Liljegren. They need a right-handed shooting defencemen, especially given the Doughty injury and Jordan Spence’s lackluster performance. Liljegren could step in and find a new home with the Kings even after this season and next year, which could lead to another extension with the Kings. Between him, Doughty and Joel Edmundson on the right side, the Kings would have a fairly decent blue line.
The asking price wouldn’t be too much given the tough start to the season for Liljegren. Whether it be Samuel Fagemo, Samuel Helenius, or a mid-round draft pick, the Kings could afford to acquire Liljegren from the Maple Leafs.
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a no-brainer; after drafting Macklin Celebrini with the first round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Sharks are ready to take the next step in their rebuild. The next step consists of acquiring NHL-quality players via free agency and trades. Liljegren can be a huge improvement for the Sharks’ blue line. Currently, they have Cody Ceci, Matt Benning, and Jan Rutta; if they could add Liljegren, he could slot in on the first pairing and be given the ice time needed to reach his potential. The main reason why he has had such a hard time reaching his potential with the Maple Leafs is because they always had him on the third pairing. However, when he was given the chance to move up the lineup and play on the top pairing, he showed he could do it; he just needed more opportunities.
In terms of asking price, the Maple Leafs should target Klim Kostin. Although there is a forward logjam for Toronto right now, at some point they will need to move someone else who makes more than $1.5 million, which could clear up a spot in the bottom six. Adding Kostin would be an interesting pickup, especially as part of a line with Ryan Reaves and Steven Lorentz. It would add more size and grit but also fit Berube’s style of paying more than Liljegren would.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Way-Too-Early 2025 Forward Trade Targets
Regardless of when, it seems inevitable that the Maple Leafs will be moving on from Liljegren, which will clear $3 million in cap space as well as a depth role on the blue line. Both the Sharks and Kings would be ideal candidates to acquire his services whenever the Maple Leafs agree to move him.
