The gradual development path that the Toronto Maple Leafs have laid out for Timothy Liljegren is paying dividends.
Taking the patient approach with their 2017 first round (17th overall) pick appears to have been a sensible decision by the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the rewards just starting to show.
Rather than being flung into NHL action, Liljegren has taken a decidedly slower route to regular big-league minutes.
In fact every minute feels earned having worked his way up from the AHL and until last year, still bouncing between the Marlies and the Leafs.
A Perfect Template for Future Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Picks
Such is the steady progression visible in his game, you’d have to think that it’s a template that the Toronto Maple Leafs try to apply on all future draftees that land on the Marlies roster.
Liljegren was near the top of his draft class, but fell to the Leafs because he was sick in his draft year. Since they are both recent first round picks, Liljegren is always drawing close comparison Rasmus Sandin but it feels like Liljegren has surpassed his fellow Swede.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Timothy Liljegren, the scouting reports were highlighting his offensive skill, puck handling and skating. The thinking was that he’d develop into a high-scoring defenseman in the NHL.
Little focus appeared to be given to his ability to play defense. However, this is where his development path ultimately differs from Rielly or Sandin.
Rasmus Sandin, much like Rielly had an easier path to the NHL seeing a decent amount of ice-time just one year removed from his first AHL campaign with the Toronto Marlies.
Contrast this with the longer amount of time that Timothy Liljegren spent honing his skills in the AHL, taking on penalty-killing assignments and top-pairing minutes with minimal focus on his offensive prowess.
You have to imagine it was this additional development that has led us to where we are today, with Timothy Liljegren easily one of the Leafs top-four defensemen.
It’s fair to say that it wasn’t smooth sailing to this point, but last year Liljegren became an everyday NHL player and was the Leafs best defenseman in the regular season (at least statistically).
This season though, he seems to have stepped it up regardless of his pairing; his first game of the season post-hernia surgery, he had a remarkable 81.71% Expected Goals For at five-on-five (per Natural Stat Trick) against the Boston Bruins no less.
He followed it up by grabbing two goals against the Vegas Golden Knights in a game he rated as his ‘worst this season’, highlighting the high standard he holds himself to, as he had a giveaway leading directly to a Vegas goal.
Considering he signed a $1.4 million salary across his two-year deal this summer, his contract rates an absolute bargain if he can repeat those sorts of performances all season long for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
There’s a lot to be said for taking it slow and ensuring a player is able to play all situations consistently at the AHL level before graduating them. In the case of Timothy Liljegren, it’s paying off in spades.