Confirmed Trade: [SJS/TOR] Timothy Liljegren for 2025 SJS 3rd round pick, 2026 SJS 6th round pick, Matt Benning

[TheBeastCoast]

Did you get anything significant here? A cap dump and a late 3rd that has like a 5% chance of becoming an NA pro prospect.

Definitely nothing significant....but people were acting like we would get nothing. He was our like 8th D and people are somehow shocked he went for just a 3rd and 6th for some reason? Like what do people think his value was? lol

 

[JediOrderPizza]

Makes sense for the Leafs to just move on and clear the space.

 

[Smif]

Benning with 2 years left is negative value.

3rd + him is basically 0.

Anything would have been better than that. Even letting him walk and save the 1,25 millions per for 2, years.

He's a UFA at the end of this year.

Did you get anything significant here? A cap dump and a late 3rd that has like a 5% chance of becoming an NA pro prospect.

Cap space is king. We haven't had cap space in years.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Benning with 2 years left is negative value.

3rd + him is basically 0.

Anything would have been better than that. Even letting him walk and save the 1,25 millions per for 2, years.

Buried threshold: The lesser of the team's cap hit and the NHL minimum salary plus $375,000

1.25 - .775 = 0.475 - .375 = $100,000 Buried Penalty, if absolute worst case scenario you can't even keep him around as a pressbox Defenseman and need to waive/assign him to AHL.

 

[S E P H]

Not sure why Utah didn't make this move?

 

[Saskatoon]

I am stunned they didn't have to pay to move him.

He's a bottom pair D at best with the constitution of melted butter.

Good luck with him SJ

Certainly makes Yzerman paying to get rid of Walman look awful by comparison

 

[Nothingbutglass]

Definitely nothing significant....but people were acting like we would get nothing. He was our like 8th D and people are somehow shocked he went for just a 3rd and 6th for some reason? Like what do people think his value was? lol

Why the hell was he resigned for 2x3 million? Was that before Berube saw him?

 

[TheDoldrums]

This is a good gamble for the Sharks. Liljegren still has second pair RHD upside. He’s just not remotely physical in any way so he was never going to fit in with this coach and GM. A problem for the playoffs but Sharks don’t have to worry about that for awhile.

I don’t know why Treliving re-signed him just to do this, feel like they would’ve gotten more early in the summer. Not the best asset management.

 

[Funk21]

Personally this was bad asset management. Liljegren is better than Timmons but it was clear the coaching staff did not like him and the brass had long moved on from him.

Just don’t understand why we jerk our kids around. Guy just turned 25 and never really given much rope. This will look bad in a few years.

We needed draft picks and A SJS 3rd and 6th are decent in what I supposedly a deep draft. Just don5 waste them at the deadline!

 

[Budz]

Hilarious to see the shift in narrative here now. Before it was "Leafs arent getting anything significant back of value for someone who's ben a healthy scratch and isnt good. Might even have to attach a pick to get rid of him"

Now its "lol leafs got fleeced. Liljegren can easily be a top 4 Dman. Great trade for the sharks"

Wishing the best for Liljegren on the sharks

You must be new if this surprising to you.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Why the hell was he resigned for 2x3 million? Was that before Berube saw him?

I have no idea. Wasn't a great idea.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Certainly makes Yzerman paying to get rid of Walman look awful by comparison

Timing

 

[Commander Clueless]

leafs sold low but liljegren had his chances

Very succinct assessment.

 

[shortfuze]

leafs sold low but liljegren had his chances

Did he really? He's played less than 2.5 seasons. He's played well at times and inconsistent most of the other times. Not all players developments are straight lines. This will be a terrible trade.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Wouldn’t be surprised to see him succeed in a bigger role. He’s shown flashes of it.

Yup, that's the hope. Lots of countrymen around his age in Eklund/Zetterlund/Wennberg/Grundstrom will hopefully help things. I've always liked this player and think he has "good middle pairing guy" upside.

Understand why he didn't work out on the Leafs, but for a Sharks team fighting for respectability instead of trying to tough out a playoff round, he makes a lot of sense.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Why the hell was he resigned for 2x3 million? Was that before Berube saw him?

Nope, it was just last July.

 

[dmcccdmn]

All of a sudden, the Sharks have Liljegren and Walman as potentially their best Dmen and Askarov a franchise goalie out of no where.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Did he really? He's played less than 2.5 seasons. He's played well at times and inconsistent most of the other times. Not all players developments are straight lines. This will be a terrible trade.

I would say so yeah. You can't sign a guy to that hit and have him be a healthy scratch.

Would I have liked to see him get more games? Yes. But consistency has been his problem. He has shown flashes of good play (I hesitate to say brilliance) and a whole lot of meh.

He's a project but the Leafs aren't in a position to wait any longer.

Sold low and I think there is a good chance there will be some regrets in hindsight on this from the blue and white in a couple years.


Unless Hakanpaa's cyborg knee pans out, I expect the Leafs to be looking for another defenseman come deadline. Assuming their play picks up of course...

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Given his salary I think this is a fair return. I don’t think he’s probably anymore than a bottom pairing guy. Just not good enough defensively or offensively. I mean there’s always a chance he develops into something more but at 25 and a half the odds aren’t great at this point.
In hindsight the Leafs should have probably traded him earlier when he had more value but management seemed to think he was going to turn into a top 4 guy.

 

[FiveHoleo]

Should have traded him way sooner or given him the chance. Always showed he had the ability to be a top guy to me.

I hate this idea that every player who fails in Toronto wasn't given a chance. How much of a chance does this guy need? He played 210 games in a Leaf uniform between the regular season and the playoffs. People are going to say the same thing about Nick Robertson when he's finally given his ticket out of town. Sometimes a player just isn't good enough, no matter where he was drafted or how prized a prospect he may have been.

 

[hamzarocks]

All of a sudden, the Sharks have Liljegren and Walman as potentially their best Dmen and Askarov a franchise goalie out of no where.

Lilijgren isnt the Sharks potential best d-men whne they become good

He is a player trying to salvage his career and break-on a rebuilding teams defense as a top4 RHD.

The Sharks best d-man will be Sam dickinson in a few years as he currently is trending well, has the tools to be a good top pairing D and isnt 25 and running out of time and room to develop into a great player like Lilijgren/Walman are.

 

[Schennanigans]

Good move for the Leafs imo.

 

[SI90]

Makes sense for both teams

 

[Curufinwe]

Good to end things cleanly

Could have gotten toxic

Lilijgren gets a shot to play and leafs get some picks and a guy who I think once injured Mcdavid (could be mistaking Benning(

That was Brandon Manning. A total scrub who played 200+ NHL games because the Flyers are shockingly bad at evaluating depth defensemen.

 

[hamzarocks]

That was Brandon Manning. A total scrub who played 200+ NHL games because the Flyers are shockingly bad at evaluating depth defensemen.

Ah true haha, confused the two.

Yeah remember him being a crappy player who injured Mcdavid then bragged/boasted about it