James Tanner
The best trade chip the Toronto Maple Leafs have is Timothy Liljegren.
LIljegren was really hyped up when he was drafted, but that seemed to go away once he was passed on the depth chart by Sandin.
That, however, speaks more to the brilliance of Sandin than it does about Liljegren, who is still considered a top NHL prospect with the potential to be a very good player, maybe more.
Liljegren was among the best defenseman in the AHL at an age when most players are unable to play in that league due to an agreement with the Canadian Junior league.
Normally I wouldn’t advice trading such a player, but if the Leafs are trading Tyson Barrie, it’s because they’ve decided they don’t want to lose Travis Dermott.
Assuming that Rielly, Muzzin, Holl, and Sandin are not going anywhere, one of Dermott or Barrie is the logical player to be replaced by the defenseman the Leafs are currently trying to acquire.
If that potential player had term, where would Liljegren play next year when Rielly, Muzzin, Holl, Dermott and Sandin all appear to already have jobs locked up?
Unless the Toronto Maple Leafs make a drastic move that renders this logical inapplicable, it seems to me that based on team need, and what he’d bring back, Timothy Liljegren is the team’s best trade chip.