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4 Marlies that Deserve Being Called Up to the Toronto Maple Leafs

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 18: Timothy Liljegren #37 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates in his 1st NHL game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Scotiabank Arena on January 18, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blackhawks defeated the Maple Leafs 6-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 18: Timothy Liljegren #37 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates in his 1st NHL game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Scotiabank Arena on January 18, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blackhawks defeated the Maple Leafs 6-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 18: Timothy Liljegren #37 of the Toronto Maple Leafs  (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Timothy Liljegren

So, the Leafs decided to bring Martin Marincin in as their seventh defenseman, instead of Timothy Liljegren? Am I missing something about how talented he is?

Liljegren is currently in his fourth AHL season and although that sounds like a lot of nights on the farm, he’s still 21-years-old. He will turn 22-years-old before this season ends, but that’s still very young in regards to becoming a full-time NHLer.

In the moment, it seems like Liljegren will never get called up but he’s on a similar path as a few current Leafs. T.J. Brodie was 21-years-old when he started playing regular NHL minutes and Jake Muzzin was 23-years-old when he made the jump. As for Justin Holl, it wasn’t until he turned 27-years-old where he was an everyday player.

With the ability to order anything from our phones and have it arrive in minutes, as a society, we want everything to happen quickly. Even at this pace, Liljegren is progressing at a normal pace so we shouldn’t be too concerned with his development.

In six games, he already has five assists, which is tied for the lead in team defensemen scoring.

Although this isn’t a make-or-break year if he doesn’t get called up, he deserves an opportunity to show the Leafs if he can provide some depth minutes in the NHL. Mikko Lehtonen has been hit or miss as the seventh defenseman and you may have to trade Travis Dermott to help bolster the forward position, so showcasing Liljegren could make a Dermott trade easier.

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