Timothy Liljegren stays with him toronto maple leaves after all.
He looked a lot like Liljegren. I may not come back to the Leafs, with arbitration looming this summer. There were some who thought a trade could even happen over the weekend as the team nhl The community gathered in Las Vegas for the NHL Draft.
In the end, the Leafs agreed to a two-year contract with the 25-year-old with a $3 million cap hit.
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Timothy Liljegren’s time with the Maple Leafs may be coming to an end
Liljegren would have had arbitration rights had he entered restricted free agency, a possibility that was factored into negotiations and ultimately a deal being reached. The Leafs feared Liljegren could receive an arbitration award with a higher cap hit than his new contract.
They avoided that possibility and now head into unrestricted free agency with certainty about Liljegren’s number. The deal will lead Liljegren to unrestricted free agency in 2026.
At that point, though, the Leafs should have a better idea of what exactly they have in Liljegren, if he has finally developed into a bona fide top-four defenceman. If not, the Leafs can walk away and Liljegren can pursue his career elsewhere.
It is possible that he will have left before then despite having signed this agreement. Liljegren’s new contract does not include any transfer protection, according to the source.
Brad Treliving’s front office isn’t exactly enamored with Liljegren, at least not yet.
Perhaps that will change if Liljegren sticks around and takes advantage of more opportunities under new Leafs coach Craig Berube. It’s possible Liljegren will take up a more prominent position on the power play next season and/or get a shot at a top-four spot at some point and ultimately slip away.
That didn’t happen during Liljegren’s first three NHL seasons playing for former Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe.
The Leafs would be wise to at least leave themselves open to Liljegren (potentially) blossoming for a while longer.
How the Leafs proceed in free agency will influence what type of role Liljegren will have next season and perhaps whether he will stay. At worst, it’s a lock if they can’t bring in multiple defenders on the right side and/or a veteran depth defender like, say, Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Liljegren at this price over the next two seasons should be more attractive as a trading asset.
It’s a significant pay raise for the 2017 first-round pick, who just completed a two-year deal with a $1.4 million cap hit.
If you make a jump, the increase will be worth it.
The Leafs were busy on Sunday before free agency. They also signed forward Max Domi on a four-year contract with a salary cap of $3.75 million.
(Photo: Mark Blinch / NHLI via Getty Images)