Toronto Maple Leafs: Timothy Liljegren is Not a Project

One year removed from the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, it remains difficult to accept that Timothy Liljegren fell all the way down to 17th overall and into the welcoming arms of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The circumstances that led to Liljegren joining the Leafs brass on United Centre’s stage this past June are remarkable. The ensuing series of events operated like a finely tune Rube Goldberg machine. Each shoe dropping at precisely the correct time and place to produce a favourable outcome.

Prior to the 2016-17 season, Liljegren was widely considered a lock to go in the top-5.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the drafting-equivalent of Vito Corleone, had him ranked right up behind Nolan Patrick at 2nd overall. In the Bobfather’s own words:

"“The Swede (Liljegren) is the undisputed top defenceman in this draft and, at this point, it’s not even close”."

Obviously, a lot can happen over the course of a season to alter these rankings. Patrick’s inescapable bout with injuries throughout the season that followed saw him eventually relinquish his 1st overall honours to Nico Heischer. In Liljegren’s case, it was mononucleosis.

Still, no prospect is ranked #2 by accident.  (Ok, maybe Alexandre Daigle.)

Regardless, the fact remained that, for Liljegren, his potential was resoundingly present. Unfortunately, a baseline level of luck was not.

Fast forward twelve months and Liljegren is a Toronto Marlie.

Completing a 180-degree turn, the young Swede now finds himself agonizingly close to capping a successful rookie campaign with Calder Cup glory. Once endowed with the dreaded label of “project”, the AHL’s lone 18-year-old defenceman has cleared every hurdle placed in front of him.

He’s not a project anymore.

European Ice

Covering September’s rookie tournament, I witnessed Liljegren’s first official game on North American ice in the flesh.

Believe me when I say, without a single semblance of hyperbole, it was not good. In fact, it was very likely the worst performance from a defenceman I’d ever seen live.

Keep in mind, I’m 22-years old. I grew up on Aki Berg.

The cause of this may be very literally on the surface. For the majority of European imports, and defencemen, in particular, struggling in their first taste of overseas ice is a routine occurrence.

In North America, the surfaces measure in at 200 x 85 feet. Their European counterparts, on the other hand, see those dimensions balloon out to 200 x 100 feet.

Now, the extra 15 feet of diameter may not seem like much initially. But, as this article from GlassAndOut’s Jamie McKinven points out, that difference equates to a surplus of 3,000 square feet.

That, my friends, is not an insignificant number.

Due to the wider dimensions, the concept of gap control becomes completely recalibrated, presenting another lesson for young defencemen to learn in their transition.

Gap Control

Whereas in Europe, defencemen can cheat down from the offensive zone blueline, North American rinks don’t afford such a luxury.

Open space allows for increased breathing room.

With more real estate to work with, defencemen operate with the knowledge that they’ll successfully catch the puck carrier in transition. Entering the defensive zone, the D can tailor their gap control to allow opponents more room on the attack, with more options to stop them.

A surplus of space between the boards dictates that it’s simply not necessary for European defenders to close out their opponent immediately. The attacker will eventually run out of room, something caused by the use of body position and angling.

Take this sequence from Liljegren at the Rookie Tournament for example.

With the puck along the boards, Liljegren fails to engage the play immediately. Instead, he hangs back at the fringe, leaving him flat-footed to handle the attacking forward.

Were there more space between him and the scrum, Liljegren could have positioned his body in a way to angle the puck carrier away from the net. Doing so would have forced the attacker into making a choice between taking a low percentage shot at the top of the circle, or follow the new path around the net.

Instead, the tighter gap blazes a clear path to the slot, with practically no room for error.

A mere 8 months later, Liljegren has adapted.

In the sequence above, Liljegren aggressively eliminates space from the attacking forward immediately upon entry into the zone. Still a tad behind the play, Liljegren’s speed allows him to catch the attacker in stride.

Rather than effective body position, he uses an active stick to pry the puck loose, safely into the corner. It’s a quick sequence, one which fails to resonate in box scores or highlight reels.

Still, it’s successful execution is a crucial developmental step for young defenceman, graduating them from wide-eyed prospects to impact players. For as long as scouts have watch Liljegren, his defensive lapses have been his most emphatic knock.

Not anymore.

Earning It

As the AHL’s lone teenaged defenceman, Liljegren rarely, if ever, looked out of place.

Entering Marlies training camp and thrust into a fight for playing time amongst the leagues deepest D corps, he earned it at every turn.

Four games in, the Leafs sent fellow Swede Calle Rosen down. Following an unsuccessful stint above, Rosen joined the Marlies for the purpose of developing in big minutes, adding another cook to a crowded kitchen.

In spite of this, Liljegren’s ice time remained unaffected.

When Andreas Borgman succumbed to a similar fate in February, the same outcome occurred. In fact, Keefe actually opted to pair Borgman with Liljegren to ease the former’s adjustment between levels.

Together, the duo formed an effective shutdown pairing.

A teenager, months removed from a career-altering bout with mono, earned unwavering top-4 minutes on a blueline littered with NHL-calibre talent.

Doesn’t sound like a project to me.

Offensive Abilities

Now we get to the good stuff.

I’m quite confident that, at this very moment, Liljegren could successfully quarterback an NHL powerplay. For Liljegren, his offensive ability has never been in question. And, while rookie totals of one goal and 16 assists in 44 games may not cause your knees to quiver with borderline-sensual excitement, they’re not supposed to.

Production is great. Although, it’s mastering the areas in between that befits long-term success.

Three line passes from Liljegren instantly became a nightly occurrence. When exiting the zone, his ability to survey the ice in a split second, identify an open forward, and then hit him in stride was apparent on every shift.

This instant decision making is exemplified in the sequence below.

(BTW, if you’re not following Kevin Papetti on Twitter already, do it immediately.)

Rather than forcing the puck up the ice, or simply throwing it off the glass (looking at you, Zaitsev) and forfeiting possession, Liljegren takes the patient approach.

Opting to go D to D with Dermott, he draws an attacker with him, shifting the passing lanes ever so slightly enough to, again, create space. With that space, he finds Andreas Johnsson streaking for a zone entry.

This ability has been vital to the Marlies success. Losing Dermott to a Leafs promotion in late-January forced the team’s ability to create offence from their own zone almost entirely onto the shoulders of their uber-rookie.

Excitement

Let’s recap, shall we?

Adapting on the fly to a different playing surface? Check. Earning big minutes on a punishingly deep blue line? That’ll be a check. Exuding the patience and vision of a player years his senior? Uh, check, please!

These are but brief glimpses into the strides Liljegren has taken during his rookie year.

With the offseason on the horizon, the budding star will be afforded a luxury previously unavailable to him in his draft year. Free from the constraints of illness, Liljegren will have a full summer to grow and expand upon his blossoming gifts.

Weighing in at 193 lbs, adding muscle will be his top priority. Getting stronger, both on the puck and off is crucial to his success. And, if done successfully, will shoot Liljegren towards an NHL promotion. So, while the timeline of that promotion is currently up for debate, one thing is not.

Liljegren is no one’s project.

Next: How Kyle Dubas Pushed the Marlies to Greatness

Thanks for reading!