#2 Timothy Liljegren
Timothy Liljegren was supposed to be a top-five pick in his draft year, but he suffered from mono, had a lost seasons, and somehow was on the board for the Toronto Maple Leafs to pick 17th overall in 2017.
Liljegren went straight to the AHL and was one of the youngest players in the league, but still acquitted himself very well.
He started his second AHL season on the top pair with Calle Rosen (since traded) and was off to a great start when a high-ankle sprain sent him to the I.R.
By all reports, Liljegren excelled for the Marlies after coming back from injury, and the right-handed defenseman is set to challenge for a job in the NHL this fall.
The Leafs have Rielly, Muzzin, Barrie and Dermott assured roster spots to start next season. Dermott will be out until December after having surgery, so there are three jobs to play for in camp.
Jake Gardiner could still return, and Cody Ceci might not get traded, but regardless, there is going to be at least one, and maybe three, spots up for grabs.
Liljegren will be up against Sandin, Ceci, Borgman, Harpur, Marincin and Holl (maybe more) – but there’s no reason to think he can’t win a job. The Leafs clearly prioritize skill and skating in their blueliners, and Liljegren has got an advantage over every player he’ll be going up against in those categories, except Sandin who is younger and left handed.
Even if he doesn’t make the team in camp, Liljegren will almost certainly make his NHL debut at some point next season (he was on the verge of earning a promotion when he sprained his ankle last year).
The fact that the Leafs didn’t trade Liljegren to upgrade their blue-line when it would have been the easy and obvious thing to do speaks to how much they believe in his potential.
His ceiling is #1 superstar defenseman, but most likely he ends up as a solid top pairing or very good second pairing player. What more could you ask for?