Following being drafted 17th overall in 2017, Timothy Liljegren has played nearly 200 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His career has been highlighted by two 23-point seasons. Unfortunately, as the Toronto Maple Leafs have added more depth, his role has diminished significantly, and his $3 million salary is tougher to justify.
Following the acquisition of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Maple Leafs have replaced both their need for a right-handed defenseman (Tanev), and an intelligent offensive one (Ekman-Larsson). Focusing on toughness, Liljegren simply doesn't fit the team's needs anymore.
With this in mind, he will likely be traded, per Elliotte Friedman:
Now, per The Score, five destinations have emerged - notably the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Los Angeles Kings.
All of these teams make sense, especially the Dallas Stars, who have a need for more dynamism on the right side, and the Florida Panthers who lost stud defenseman Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken in free agency.
The Edmonton Oilers are in a rare position where they have cap space to spare, but compounding it towards the deadline seems like the more optimal move in order to acquire a more expensive player later in the season. The Pittsburgh Penguins are frankly in no-mans land, and Liljegren is not a needle-mover at that level. Finally, the LA Kings have Drew Doughty coming back in a few months, and Brandt Clarke has earned a shot in a bigger role.
Where do you think Timothy Liljegren should be traded?