Timothy Liljegren sat hunched over at his dressing room stall, sweat dripping from his brow and eyes pointed toward the floor. He was one of the last Toronto Maple Leafs to leave the ice following practice on Wednesday.
Liljegren was far away from the ice, and — having spent extra time skating in a way Leafs regulars did not — far away from where he’d rather be.
“I’ve just tried to come in every day and stay ready,” the 25-year-old defenceman said. “Obviously it would be more fun playing, but that’s not the situation.”
The situation is one Liljegren isn’t happy with, and one that could soon come to a head: Fellow right-shot defenceman Jani Hakanpää will be eligible to come off LTIR as of the Leafs’ Nov. 2 game against the St. Louis Blues.
Which could leave only a few days for some sort of decision on Liljegren’s future with the Leafs to be made.
To date, it’s been a frustrating season for Liljegren. Especially considering he re-upped on a two-year contract with a $3 million AAV. With that deal, it felt like there would be an implied place for Liljegren in the Leafs’ top six.
Liljegren has played in just one of the Leafs’ 10 games this season, playing 13:55 in an Oct. 16 win over the Los Angeles Kings. The 2017 first-round pick previously flirted with a top-four role over the past two seasons as his game improved and his confidence grew with increased playing time.
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Liljegren is undoubtedly an NHL-calibre defenceman with the kind of vision and puck-moving ability and, of course, right shot, that should have him playing every night. But after the additions of Hakanpää, Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and the hiring of head coach Craig Berube, Liljegren now finds himself on the outside looking in.
“We’re professionals and we’re competitive and we want to play, obviously. It’s a battle mentally to stay positive,” Liljegren said.
It feels more than likely that Hakanpää will go on a conditioning stint with the Marlies to get ready for NHL games. Even when he does return to the Leafs lineup, sending Philippe Myers down to the Marlies could provide the necessary salary cap space for the towering Finnish defenceman to be activated.
What complicates matters is the status of Connor Dewar, also on LTIR, and how the Leafs will make his $1.18 million cap hit fit.
But when it comes to the blue line, it still feels like something must eventually give with Liljegren and his Leafs’ future.
“I’m just taking it day by day and trying to be positive,” Liljegren said when asked about his immediate future. “Whatever happens, will happen. My focus is here.”
If he’s not in the team’s on-ice plans, can they really afford to keep Liljegren stashed in the press box game after game? For a team that will clearly have to add a centre this season, accruing cap space day by day is going to be vital.
If Liljegren is — somehow — in the Leafs’ plans, how can he beat out Hakanpää and the resurgent Conor Timmins for a place in the Leafs’ top six with limited game time?
“I haven’t reached my potential yet,” Liljegren said. “I’m not at the top of my game so I’m trying to work on a lot of different stuff. Right now it’s just about staying fresh, staying ready.”
So what are the options for Liljegren moving forward?
If there’s a trade to be completed, there’s one less potential fit on Wednesday than days earlier. The Utah Hockey Club was in desperate need of a right-shot defenceman after losing Sean Durzi and John Marino long-term and added Olli Määttä in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Maatta carried an identical cap hit as Liljegren for this season.
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Perhaps the Leafs stick with the status quo and keep Liljegren in the press box. Hakanpää is a player the organization wants to fit into the lineup and see what he’s capable of. Plus, injuries are always a possibility with a blue line that’s increasingly physical. Liljegren said the message he’s received from the coaching staff is consistent with this line of thinking.
“We talked a little bit,” Liljegren said of his conversations with Berube. “The message has just been: stay ready. The team’s been playing well.”
Finally, there could be unexpected demotions to the Marlies across the Leafs lineup. That would change the Leafs’ salary cap picture and Liljegren’s status could come into focus.
Could the Leafs try to sneak someone like Pontus Holmberg through waivers? Or maybe Dewar himself? Or perhaps, in a scenario that seemed far-fetched before the season, Liljegren is placed on waivers at some point himself, if only to get some game action?
The questions over Liljegren’s future do bring into question the Leafs’ original decision to re-sign him to a not-insignificant cap for this season and next. Whatever their plan was for him on June 30 clearly has changed.
Berube appears to be at the centre of that change, sitting Liljegren for every game but one. However, he was hired as Leafs coach before the team re-signed Liljegren.
If you’re Liljegren, you undoubtedly hope a change in your playing time occurs soon as well. He might not have to wait long to find out whether that change will actually happen.
(Photo: Kevin Sousa / NHLI via Getty Images)
