Yeah I won’t be shocked if Liljegren is in Utah colours within a month.
They'd have to be the front-runner.
One thing I'd question -- what are the Leafs hoping to achieve in a Liljegren trade?
Is it to just accumulate some draft capital and clear cap space, with Liljegren out ($2.2m over a replacement player), so that Hakanpaa ($700k over a replacement player) and Jarnkrok ($1.3m over a replacement player) can be activated off LTIR?
To me, this seems somewhat foolish, as you're likely always going to have at least 1 forward on LTIR, and you'd still need to clear a roster spot up front to bring Jarnkrok back. Which of the Leafs current 13 forwards + Dewar does Jarnkrok hold more importance than?
I guess I'd advocate for a different approach... Liljegren and Jarnkrok for Jack McBain and a 2nd round pick.
Utah gets an immediate replacement in the lineup with a versatile forward that can also lead by example on a young team... and "transitions" the upside they have in McBain at a position of depth, to a position of need.
From the Leafs standpoint, you clear a bunch of space to the point where you're out of LTIR, can start accumulating cap space, and pick up a piece of draft capital. You get a guy that might be a really solid #3 centre today with the right set of linemates, and potentially turn the Leafs centre position into a position of strength, with Mathews-Tavares-McBain-Kampf as your healthy lineup, and Domi, Holmberg, Dewar and Lorentz all able to step into the middle of the ice as required.
Heck, a middle-6 line of Domi, McBain and Nylander could be really good IMO, regardless of whether its Domi or McBain playing C.