Timothy Liljegren trade rumours heat up with five teams emerging as possible trade partners
The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly on the verge of trading defenseman Timothy Liljegren, and five frontrunners have emerged as options.
Following being drafted 17th overall in 2017, Timothy Liljegren has played nearly 200 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His career has been highlighted by two 23-point seasons. Unfortunately, as the Toronto Maple Leafs have added more depth, his role has diminished significantly, and his $3 million salary is tougher to justify.
Following the acquisition of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Maple Leafs have replaced both their need for a right-handed defenseman (Tanev), and an intelligent offensive one (Ekman-Larsson). Focusing on toughness, Liljegren simply doesn't fit the team's needs anymore.
With this in mind, he will likely be traded, per Elliotte Friedman:
Now, per The Score, five destinations have emerged - notably the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Los Angeles Kings.
All of these teams make sense, especially the Dallas Stars, who have a need for more dynamism on the right side, and the Florida Panthers who lost stud defenseman Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken in free agency.
The Edmonton Oilers are in a rare position where they have cap space to spare, but compounding it towards the deadline seems like the more optimal move in order to acquire a more expensive player later in the season. The Pittsburgh Penguins are frankly in no-mans land, and Liljegren is not a needle-mover at that level. Finally, the LA Kings have Drew Doughty coming back in a few months, and Brandt Clarke has earned a shot in a bigger role.
Where do you think Timothy Liljegren should be traded?
