Time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to trade Timothy Liljegren
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a few tough decisions to make. One of those decisions is how to trim the roster to be the best it can be and become salary cap compliant before the season starts.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will likely make at least one trade before their season starts. However, two trades seem highly possible. A few names rumored to be on the trading block are forwards David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok.
Kampf and Jarnkrok both have a ten-team no-trade list in their contract, so that makes things a little harder for Leafs GM Brad Treliving, but not impossible. Jarnkrok has two years left on his deal worth $2.1 million a season, while Kampf has three years left on his deal worth $2.4 million. Out of these two, Jarnkrok is probably the easiest to trade. (All salary cap information is from puckpedia.com)
On defense, the Leafs have reached a point where they seem to think Timothy Liljegren is expendable. The former Leafs first-round pick from 2017 keeps finding himself lining up on the bottom pairing, or even the extra pairing, and if the Leafs aren't going to use him in the top four, he's too expensive to keep on the roster.
Toronto Maple Leafs should trade Timothy Liljegren
Timothy Liljegren has a reputation for never fully living up to the hype of being a defenseman drafted in the first round, but realistically, any time you get an NHL regular out of the 17th pick, you probably did alright.
Defensemen like Marshall Rifai and Phillippe Myers have gotten some hype this pre-season and with the acquisitions of Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Jani Hakanpaa added to a group that already has Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, and Conor Timmins, it looks like Liljegren is no longer needed.
Liljegren has two years left on his deal worth $3 million a season. Trading him and Jarnkrok or Kampf would free up $5.1 million to $5.4 million. Enough to allow Treliving to sign Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz, plus keep seven NHL defensemen. With Rifai, Myers, and prospect Topi Niemela waiting for their turn, the best time to trade Liljegren is now.
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As for a return, I'm sure Treliving is open to any possible return that benefits the Leafs. However, trading Liljegren would likely be a way for the Leafs to fix the salary cap situation and acquire a draft pick or two. The Leafs don't have many draft picks in the next two drafts, so Treliving could use Liljegren to fix that problem.