Timothy Liljegren Extended

 

Photo From Maple Leaf Hot Stove 

So, the NHL’s offseason is officially upon us so before I get into the news congratulations to former Maple Leaf Nazem Kadri and the Colorado Avalanche on winning this years Stanley Cup, their first since 2001, and to the Lightning from Tampa Bay congratulations to an amazing run that saw you appear in three consecutive cup finals. As I said the offseason has arrived and the Leafs who are believed to entering an interesting summer got things started this morning when they announced that defenseman Timothy Liljegren has signed a new two-year deal that carries an average annual value of 1.4 million dollars each year. Last night the Leafs had around 8.5 million dollars in space but with this deal signed according to Cap Friendly Toronto now has approximately 6.4 million in cap space remaining. Liljegren was drafted by the Leafs in 2017 and would find success early in his career as a member of the Toronto Marlies Calder Cup winning team in 2018 where he would gain a reputation as an iron man for the Marlies because eh was playing over twenty minutes a night on a consistent basis. In his four seasons on the Marlies Liljegren would collect a total of 73 points in 148 regular season appearances.

The 23-year-old blue liner would finally get his chance with the big club this past season and he wouldn’t disappoint because in 61 games he would register a respectable 23 points scoring 5 goals and adding 18 assists. He would also cap off his first full NHL season by finishing 11^th in votes for Rookie of the Year. Throughout the season we fans saw Liljegren paired with the likes of Muzzin, fellow RFA Rasmus Sandin, but after the arrival of Mark Giordano it was common to see the two paired together.

There is no question there will be some turnover regarding the Leafs defense because it is expected that the Leafs boss Kyle Dubas will move players out to strengthen his team in the necessary areas but with Liljegren now signed to this new deal his name is scratched off the list of Leafs needing a new deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if I am back in a few weeks with an article talking about an extension for Rasmus Sandin but that it up to Kyle because he still has to make a decision on Sandin, Pierre Engvall, and Ondrej Kase before turning his attention to Unrestricted Free Agents Collin Blackwell and Defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin, not to mention the Entry Draft begins on July 7^th.

 

That’s all for this quick write up thanks as always for reading.